Snowy 2.0 transmission lines spark court action from National Parks Association NSW

National Parks Association is taking the government to court over its decision to allow transmission lines to be built through Kosciuszko National Park.

National Parks Association of NSW is taking the NSW government to court over its decision to allow transmission lines from Snowy 2.0 to be built through Kosciuszko National Park.

National Parks Association of NSW is taking the state government to court over its decision to allow transmission lines from Snowy 2.0 to be built through Kosciuszko National Park.

The case comes after the former NSW government amended its management plan for the national park to exempt the $5.9bn mega-pumped hydro project from having to comply with a requirement for any new transmission to be built underground.

The environmental lobby group is railing against the proposed transmission lines amid concern their construction will clear over 100 hectares of pristine national park, destroying valuable ecosystems and habitats.

The proposed overhead transmission involves two 75m steel towers located in a cleared stretch of land across an area spanning more than eight kilometres of the national park.

NPA chief executive Gary Dunnett said the approval marks the first overhead transmission lines to be built in a NSW National Park for nearly 50 years.

“The Kosciuszko Plan of Management stipulated that any new transmission must be underground, for good reason,” Mr Dunnett said.

“What possible justification could there be to exempt Snowy 2.0, other than save Snowy Hydro some costs. The transmission lines should be underground, as is most of the Snowy 2.0 project”.

The NSW government decision to allow Snowy 2.0 to construct new overhead electricity transmission lines reverses a longstanding ban on lines being built overground.

Snowy 2.0 has been beset by delays, including the collapse of one of its main contractors, Clough and the abrupt exit of a chief executive, Paul Broad.

Snowy Hydro CEO Dennis Barnes in May revealed that full operations of the mega pumped-hydro project was now expected between June and December 2029 at the latest, almost five years behind its original projected completion date.

Snowy Hydro and its contractor, WeBuild, was recently hit with a $30,000 fine by the NSW Environment Protection Authority following two alleged pollution incidents in Kosciuszko National Park.

A NSW parliamentary inquiry is currently scrutinising the feasibility, cost and environmental impact of undergrounding thousands of kilometres of high-voltage transmission lines required to connect renewable energy projects to the grid.

The Australian last month reported power industry experts said Australia was lagging well behind international best practice, knowledge and experience in terms of undergrounding.

It comes after Transgrid last year released a report which found the $3.3bn HumeLink project would balloon out to $11.5bn if the lines went underground.

The Australian has approached the NSW government and Snowy Hydro for comment.