Snowy 2.0 ‘a risk to threatened fauna’

The Snowy 2.0 hydro project could damage the habitats of several threatened native species, including a native mouse.

The Masked Owl is listed as a vulnerable species in NSW. Supplied

Malcolm Turnbull’s multi-billion- dollar Snowy 2.0 pumped hydro project could damage the habitats of several threatened species, including a native mouse, frog, cockatoo and a pygmy possum.

According to the environmental impact statement for the Prime Minister’s key infrastructure project — aimed at smoothing out price volatility in the energy market and ensuring greater system reliability — exploratory works were deemed to pose a threat to “some threatened fauna”.

These included the gang-gang cockatoo, eastern pygmy possum, Booroolong frog, the smoky mouse and masked owl.

The 283-page report, which was signed off on July 23, said the threat to the smoky mouse habitat was “potentially the most serious”.

To protect it, the report said works had been designed to “ensure that impacts are minimal” with no road-widening in the area of the identified habitat.

The smoky mouse habitat under threat was in the “upper section of Lobs Hole Ravine Road” — a four-wheel drive trail road near the Yarrangobilly River that traverses the landscape in the Snowy Mountains region of NSW.

Similar in size to a small rat, the smoky mouse has a “critically endangered” conservation status in NSW. According to the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage, it has a head and body length averaging about 90mm and a tail averaging 140mm.

The Snowy 2.0 EIS noted that further measures were being taken to protect other animals near the project’s exploratory works including water-based creatures.

“To avoid and minimise impacts to the Booroolong frog, Murray crayfish and potential Macquarie perch habitat, a 50m exclusion area has been placed around the Yarrangobilly River,” the statement said.

Eastern Pygmy Possums, at the Australia Walkabout Wildlife Park, Calga. Picture: Peter Clark

“It was determined that if works can be avoided within this buffer, direct impacts to Booroolong frog and their habitat can be avoided, along with most indirect impacts. The two bridges that cross the Yarrangobilly River and Wallaces Creek will be designed to avoid impacts to fish passage.”

Most of the exploratory works will be in the Lobs Hole area of the Kosciuszko National Park and the Talbingo Reservoir.

Snowy 2.0 involves linking the Talbingo and Tantangara reservoirs within the Snowy Mountains Hydro-electric Scheme and building an underground power station between the two reservoirs.

The main purpose of the exploratory works is to get “greater understanding of rock condit­ions at the proposed location of the underground power station”, which is 1km below the surface.

The EIS said impacts to biodiversity would “be avoided and minimised as much as possible” but noted there would be some “residual impacts” that would need to be offset through legislation and agreement with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the NSW Office of Environ­ment and Heritage.