Critically endangered turtle threatens to sink $14bn Borumba Dam hydro hopes

Potential destruction of habitat for a critically endangered turtle is threatening to thwart a pumped hydro project crucial to the Palaszczuk government’s renewable energy targets.

The white-throated snapping turtle has been listed as critically endangered since 2014.

Potential destruction of habitat for a critically endangered turtle is threatening to thwart a $14bn pumped hydro project crucial to the Palaszczuk government’s renewable energy targets.

The scheme, based around ­Borumba Dam in the Mary River Basin, is one of two pumped hydro projects at the centre of the state’s plan to end its reliance on coal-fired power by 2035.

Federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek, who has set a goal to prevent any new extinctions, has the power to block the project, which is “likely” to have a significant impact on eight vulnerable or endangered animals and “possible” impact on a further six.

A 167-page referral report, prepared by state government-owned energy company Queensland Hydro for Ms Plibersek’s department, reveals the Borumba project will flood 17km of potential habitat for the critically endangered white-throated snapping turtle.

“Impacts to this habitat could lead to decreased recruitment and ultimately a decline in overall population numbers,” the referral report reads.

More than 1000ha of koala habitat could be destroyed during construction and the flooding of upper and lower reservoirs.

“The proposed action is considered likely to contribute significantly to a long-term decrease in the size of a population,” the report states.

In 2009, then-environment minister Peter Garrett stopped the state government from building Traveston Dam, in the same basin as the proposed Borumba scheme, because it posed a threat to the habitats of the lung fish, Mary River cod and Mary River turtle.

The Mary River turtle. Picture: AFP Photo/ZSL/Chris Van Wyk

State Energy Minister Mick de Brenni insists Borumba would not be another Traveston Dam, and Queensland Hydro would meet stringent environmental and ecological regulations. “Locals in the region will tell you the two projects are vastly different in location and design,” he said.

“Traveston proposed to extract millions of litres of water, span thousands of hectares at the crossroads of major river streams, and added risk to threatened species.

“In stark contrast, Borumba extracts no water, sits on small creeks and, critically, it tackles the chief cause of extinction, climate change, while actually improving environmental flows in the creek system as a design requirement.”

The state’s second pumped hydro project, the Pioneer-­Burdekin near Mackay, will require compulsory resumption of at least 50 cattle and cane properties, and could impact platypus habitat.

Both schemes are critical to the state government’s goal of reaching 80 per cent renewable energy by 2035. If either fails to secure approvals, Mr de Brenni has said the alternate plan would be battery storage, which “presents a prohibitive cost and technology barrier”.

New projects, such as coalmines or housing developments, that are expected to have a “significant impact” on protected species must seek further federal review and approval.

Ms Plibersek said any project with “unacceptable impacts” on the environment would be refused. “Whether it is a new housing development, a road, a rail project or … a transmission line, it will be assessed in the same way,” she told parliament last week.

Queensland Conservation Council director Dave Copeman said long-duration storage was necessary to transition to clean energy but he was “very concerned by the potential impacts on threatened species and ecological communities from the Borumba project. (We) are determined to ensure the government avoids and reduces these impacts”.

Borumba pumped hydro would have a “possible” impact on habitat for the lungfish, Mary River cod, Mary River turtle and spotted-tail quoll, along with the brown treecreeper bird and white-throated needletail birds, the report says. There will be “likely” significant impact on the koala, glossy black-cockatoo, black-breasted buttonquail, greater glider, yellow-bellied glider, long-nosed potoroo, grey-headed flying-fox and the snapping turtle.