[Greens-Media] Snowy environment without watchdog

[John Kaye]

Snowy environment without watchdog

Media release: 18 March 2014

The O'Farrell government is leaving the Snowy River and Mountains
environment without the protection of an independent watchdog, according to
Greens NSW MP John Kaye.

('Snowy loses the independent watchdog working to restore its health'',
Sydney Morning herald, 18 March, p. 6, http://j.mp/smh140318)

The Snowy Hydro Corporatisation Amendment (Snowy Advisory Committee) Bill
2013 which will be debated in the NSW Upper House today dissolves the
independent Snowy Scientific Committee and replaces it with an Advisory
Committee that:

* Will not be independent of government; and
* Will not produce an annual state of the environment report

The Snowy Scientific Committee provided advice of releases from the Snowy
Scheme. It was also charged with the responsibility to produce an annual
state of the Snowy environment report. Although it was often in recess
during both Labor and Coalition governments, when it did sit it provided
important protection for the Snowy River and the Upper Montaine environment.

Media comments

Greens NSW MP John Kaye said: "The O'Farrell government has left the Snowy
River and the Upper Mountains environment without the protection of
independent Scientific Committee.

"Decisions about releases and the renegotiation of Snowy Hydro's licence
will be made without independent scientific overview because the O'Farrell
government is bringing the process under political control.

"There are real consequences for the Snowy River and the Upper Mountain
ecology.

"Primary Industry Minister Katrina Hodgkinson now has control over who is
on the committee and its funding. She will turn the watchdog into a lapdog,
serving the interests of the downstream irrigators and Snowy Hydro.

"Powerful commercial forces are lining up to take water away from the Snowy
environment. Both the Hydro Corporation and the downstream irrigators on
the Murray and Murrumbidgee Rivers have a voracious appetite for water that
would otherwise go to the Snowy and Upper Mountain Rivers.

"Minister Hodgkinson's tamed and toothless Advisory Committee will have
neither the power nor the will to stop them.

"The O'Farrell government does not want the financial interests of either
Snowy Hydro or the irrigators interfered with by truly independent
scientific advice about the needs of the fragile environment.

"Release timing and volumes are critical to restoring the health of the
Snowy River and the Upper Montane riparian environment. Decades of flushing
flows have resulted in the spread of invasive flora and siltation.

"Without an independent Scientific Committee, the Snowy is at risk of
falling prey to the commercial pressures of the Hydro and the irrigators.

"It's a shame that Labor only discovered the importance of the independent
watchdog once they were opposition. When they were in government, years
went by with no Committee being appointed.

"Even when the Committee was appointed, Labor often starved it of funding,"
Dr Kaye said.

For more information:  John Kaye 0407 195 455

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John Kaye
Greens NSW MP
phone: 0407 195 455
web: www.john.nsw.greens.org.au
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