Upper Snowy Riverkeeper and the Moonbah River
Moonbah Meanderings and the Inequity of its Theft
(featured in local papers)
The science of the Moonbah River (Mowamba) has been adequately explained in plain English and scientific terminology by numerous renowned scientists. All of these esteemed people agree that the Moonbah is the only natural, upper montane river left that can provide the essential connectivity so vital to the biodiversity of the Snowy River from the snow melt to the sea.
Any hope of real recovery of the enforced senile decay of this once mighty river hangs in the return of the full pulsing natural upper montane flow of the connectivity that only the unrestricted flow of the Moonbah can provide.
Bear in mind that the Moonbah flows equates to approximately 3 to 4% of the total scientific recommendation of the full of 28%, and we still need to see another 24% release of adequately managed environmental flows under the guidance of the Snowy Scientific Committee to give the ultimate scientific recommended flow.
Only this positive action by the people and their elected representatives in Government will change the ‘Snowy Creek’ into a River again. The inequity of the theft of the Moonbah River - on the pretext of generating power through a mini hydro generator at the toe of the Jindabyne Dam - is highly questionable on the basis of a report prepared by Economists At Large & Associates for the Snowy River Alliance in February 2004.
This report entitled “An economic evaluation of costs and benefits of the diversion of water from the Mowamba River for hydroelectricity generation” will shortly be available on the SRA website. This report was based on information that the mini hydro-electric generator to be installed was a 5 MW unit which in reality, turns out to be a 1.1 MW unit - approximately one quarter the size of the original unit specified. This unit would be less economically valuable in its returns to Snowy Hydro than a 5 MW unit as outlined in the report.
In the executive summary of the report by EAL, it is indicated there would be an economic benefit of about $33 million a year to the communities along the river if the Mowamba was allowed to flow unrestricted.
In the last paragraph of the executive summary, the report states “the best possible annual revenue potential of the Mowamba river flows for Snowy Hydro is $891,072 per year (which converts to 0.68% of Snowy Hydro’s last financial year’s after-tax profit). This is a trivial gain for a significant impact in terms of the Mowamba flows which are effectively 50 to 60% of the natural variability of the upper Snowy River. The above refers of course to information available to E&L in the year 2004.
The big question is, which has the greater socio-economic and environmental value to our communities along the Snowy River? A free flowing unrestricted Moonbah river or a 1.1 MW mini Hydro generator approximately one quarter the size of the unit the report was based on?
The Snowy River must flow at 28% and the Moonbah must be its free flowing upper montane head. The other 24% environmental flow is more than adequate to drive the 1.1 MW mini hydro generator.
Angel John Gallard
Chairperson SRA
President DDCA
Upper Snowy Riverkeeper
