Snowy hydro the jindabyne story c1965 clip 2 on aso. The scheme was designed to collect and store water, including water that would otherwise flow east down the snowy river to the coast, divert it through transmountain tunnels and power stations and then release it west of the snowy mountains into the catchments of the river murray and the murrumbidgee river. As told through the bestselling history, snowy the making of modern australia by journalist and author brad collis. Fed by melting snows, the river plays a major role in the snowy mountains hydro electric scheme, one of the worlds largest power and irrigation projects. Hydroelectric mountains scheme occupational health snowy practice in the. Snowy hydro scheme will be left high and dry unless we look after the mountains march 22, 2017 3. The snowy hydro scheme is located in the snowy mountains region and already consists of 16 major dams, nine power stations and 7000 gigalitres of storage, which is almost 12 times the volume of. This is a must for any visitor to the snowy mountains region. Shot prior to the event, this is a wistful and rather charming sequence that attempts to capture the history and spirit of a region about to change forever. The saga of the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme. The construction of the snowy river hydroelectric scheme is australias biggest ever engineering feat. Those present at the wellattended snowy river alliance annual general meeting were surprised to learn that the snowy river holds the record for the oldest freshwater fish in australia.
Surveyor george davison used this theodolite instrument for measuring angles to map the snowy area before the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme began. Buy engineering features of the snowy mountains scheme on free shipping on qualified orders. The plan from snowy river australian renewable energy agency. Most of these stayed and contributed most positively to. The snowy mountains scheme is one of australias largest engineering and construction operations.
After more than 60 years of discussion and argument about utilizing the water resources of the snowy mountains, the commonwealth parliament passed the. In 1997 a new company, snowy hydro trading pty ltd shtpl, was established by the new south wales government and the state electricity commission of victoria, as a joint venture to trade electricity generated by the snowy mountains scheme in the national electricity market. Evidence of human occupation at cloggs cave, near the snowy river, near. The future of the snowy river briefing paper no 22000.
The snowy river and other rivers and streams affected by the snowy hydro scheme are in severe ecological crisis. However, the snowy was dammed at jindabyne in 1967 for electricity generation as part of the snowy mountains hydro electric scheme. The snowy river alliance a community group for the protection of the snowy river. Time to do it again stop these unfortunately sa doesnt have the river systems to create a hydro scheme, but it does have hot rocks which the state government seems to think is only.
The snowy mountain scheme is still the biggest engineering project ever undertaken in australia, and the men who built it were grateful for the latest technology at the time as you can see in this early film. The history of the snowy scheme reveals its important role in building post world. According to brad colliss book snowy, the making of australia the official death. A feasibility study into the proposed expansion of the snowy hydro scheme has. Snowy mountains attractions, activities, things to do.
Rehabilitation of former snowy scheme sites in kosciuszko. Experts weigh in on the snowy hydro expansion plans. Guthega pondage above, is the impounded reservoir formed by guthega dam. The environmental issues around rerouting entire river systems and denying the snowy river its natural flow rate are still a concern. Dams, power stations and tunnels were built so that the water from the snowy river could be used to provide power and irrigation. In 1964, jindabyne dam, built by the snowy mountains scheme, caused the flooding of the old town of jindabyne on the banks of the snowy river. By elizabeth dixon beyond the engineering achievements of the snowy mountains scheme, there is the tragic story of those workers killed or seriously injured in the construction of the project. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme is one of the most complex integrated water and hydroelectric power schemes in the world. Come and experience this amazing part of australias electricity and water industries by visiting one. In the warmer months the region comes to life with events, festivals, attractions and a host of must dos for everyone. The federal governments announcement of a feasibility study into the expansion to the snowy hydro scheme in nsw could potentially break the current impass in the fossil fuels vs renewables energy debate. Snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme, new south wales.
Go on an exploration of discovery along one of our truly remarkable scenic drives where youll find fabulous food and wine and photo opportunities at. For example, the 2003 restoration of former snowy scheme sites project tasked with rehabilitating the original snowy hydro spoil heaps, identified. Which list has the snowy mountains scheme been added to. The scheme collects and stores the water that would normally flow east to the coast and diverts it through transmountain tunnels and power stations. Her book is based on about 90 oral histories with former snowy workers and. The snowy mountains scheme is a major engineering achievement of the 20th century. The power of water hydro schemes since early this century, the federal and state governments recognised the potential of the alps to provide both water for irrigation and hydroelectricity. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme is an integrated water and. The project harnesses the snowy river with a series of dams. The commonwealth government passed the snowy mountains hydroelectric power act in 1949 which gave the snowy mountains hydroelectric authority the responsibility for the final investigation, design and construction of the snowy mountain scheme, one of the largest single engineering works ever to be undertaken in australia up to that time. Returning environmental flows to the snowy river an overview of water recovery, management and delivery of increased flows introduction the snowy river is an iconic river in south eastern australia.
The snowy mountains scheme is the largest hydroelectric scheme in australia. The snowy mountains scheme or snowy scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in. History of the snowy mountains scheme 70 years on newcastle. Snowy mountains hydroelectricity scheme which brought upwards of 100,000 migrants into the country. The snowy river was initially utilised sustainably as a food and water resource by indigenous australians for around 30,00040,000 years prior to european settlement.
Proposals to divert the river for irrigation and power generation were presented from as early as the 1880s but it was not until the 1940s that the necessary resources and technological capacity were realised with the snowy mountains scheme. The attacks on the snowy scheme began, initially, on the basis that thermal power was cheaper than snowy hydro. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme was one of the largest engineering ever undertaken in the world. Built between 1949 and 1974, the project consists of 16 major dams, 7 power stations, 2 pumping stations and 225km of tunnels, pipelines and aqueducts. In the snowy mountains, theres so much to do, all year long. Snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme irrigation project.
Snowy hydro scheme will be left high and dry unless we. The snowy hydro scheme is an iconic project in australian infrastructure provision, so it was good to read such an interesting account of its history. Victorias extra 100,000 acre feet snowy mountains hydroelectric. The clip opens with a shot of the town bridge, which spans the snowy river, and focuses on the settlement, including stone and brick churches, houses and a hotel. It is the most complex, multipurpose, multireservoir hydro scheme in the world with 80 kilometres of aqueducts, 140 kilometres of tunnels, 16 large dams and seven power stations, two of which are underground. Emily ballous interesting novel aphelion picador 2007 draws with permission on stories and imagery from my book, the snowy. Its waters are impounded at a high elevation, diverted through tunnels under the australian alps to generate electricity, and then discharged into the murray and murrumbidgee rivers. Snowy mountains scheme nsw environment, energy and science.
Its one of the most complex projects ever undertaken in australia. The way the author draws on the stories of the individual employees and contractors, helps paints a vivid picture of the what it was to work there and brings real intimacy to the story. Snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme behind the news. Its been announced that the snowy mountains hydro scheme has made the national heritage list. In snowy river a major role in the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme, one of the worlds largest power and irrigation projects.
It took 25 years to build and is one of the largest and most complex integrated water and hydroelectric power schemes in operation in the world. It diverts the reliable waters of the southflowing snowy river, westwards. Engineering features of the snowy mountains scheme. Sometimes known as the snowy, its australias largest engineering project. The snowy mountains also feed the murrumbidgee and murray rivers from the tooma river, whites river and yarrangobilly river. The snowy mountains hydro scheme is a hydroelectricity and irrigation complex in south east australia. Decade summary history and politics society and culture science and technology flight. Official yearbook of the commonwealth of australia 1977, s. The scheme reached its designed output capacity of 3740 megawatts in 1974, and provides an annual average of 2. Tumut 3 power station is part of the snowy hydro scheme and was visited by prime minister turnbull for the announcement. The kosciuszko dam and power station and windy creek dam were never built, due to environmental concerns. Snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme my place for teachers. The ideas behind the scheme is to divert the winter snowmelt waters westward into the murrumbidgee rivers, irrigating large parts of inland australia and at the same time generating hydroelectricity. At 1 per cent of its original flow, the oncemighty snowy river is now a mere trickle and inland, at the heart of the foodbowl the scheme created, a combination of treefelling and mismanaged.
Snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme is the largest engineering project undertaken in australia, with a capacity of about 3,800mw. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme is the most complex, multipurpose, multireservoir hydro scheme in the world with 80 kilometres of aqueducts, 140 kilometres of tunnels, 16. In victoria, the headwaters of the murray are dammed by the hume and dartmouth reservoirs, constructed for both domestic and irrigation use. Bar ridge and diggers creek aqueduct october 1964 july 1965 historical. The snowy scheme is lauded in the history books as a critically. A snowy river bass, caught in the snowy river, was found to be 49 years old, older than the oldest recorded murray cod. The range is perhaps best known for the snowy mountains scheme, a project to dam the snowy river, providing both water for irrigation and hydroelectricity. The discovery centre showcases the amazing history of the.
Snowy hydro discovery centre the snowy hydro scheme is on of the worlds incredible engineering feats that has helped shape our nation. This clip shows old jindabyne, new south wales, before it was flooded to form jindabyne lake dam, now part of the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme. Australia 60 years of the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme. The snowy mountains scheme is an integrated water and hydroelectric power project located in australias southern. The snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme the scheme is also an icon in australian history, and is the most complex, multipurpose, multireservoir hydro. It tells the story of four generations of women, set against the inundation of the small town of adaminaby, lost to the huge eucumbene dam in the late 1950s. The snowy mountains scheme is powering up to mark 70 successful years.
Its the first or last, depending on your direction dam across the snowy river, and the first dam completed as part of the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme in 1955. The headwaters of the river were turned around to flow inland instead of to the sea, and an insidious decline began. Pumped hydro represents stored energy, which can be created through the use of renewables. The snowy mountains hydro electric scheme changed forever the landscape of the mountains around kiandra. The current snowy water licence has failed to deliver the scheduled snowy river increased flows srif and snowy montane rivers increased flows, and the associated environmental objectives, as detailed in the. We first encountered it at the end of the infamous day two. Snowy hydro the jindabyne story c1965 clip 1 on aso. It rises near mount kosciuszko and, up until the construction of the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme, it was the largest snowmelt river. In all these circumstances the snowy scheme was seen as an unwelcome competitor, particularly its capacity to sell into the grid in the middle part of the load curve, at the margin with thermal power. Snowy mountains hydro national museum of australia. Fed by melting snows, the river plays a major role in the snowy mountains hydroelectric scheme, one of the worlds largest power and irrigation projects. Snowy mountains hydro scheme institution of civil engineers.
583 902 579 983 624 1021 836 518 227 1381 499 1425 1058 1319 923 3 473 274 1501 1154 172 48 1312 170 134 261 1433 1028 1252 363