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Continued Public Ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Select Committee on the continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited Continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited Ordered to be printed 26 October 2006 Report - October 2006 LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited New South Wales Parliamentary Library cataloguing-in-publication data: New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Council. Select Committee on the continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited. The continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited : [report] / Legislative Council, Select Committee on the continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited. [Sydney, N.S.W.] : The Committee, 2006. – 105 p. ; 30 cm. (Report) “October 2006”. Chair: Rev. the Hon. Dr. Gordon Moyes, MLC. ISBN 1921286059 1. Snowy Mountains Hydro-Electric Authority. 2. Hydroelectric power plants--New South Wales--Snowy Mountains. I. Moyes, Gordon. II. Title III. Series: New South Wales. Parliament. Legislative Council. Select Committee on the continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited. Report. DDC 621.312 ii Report - October 2006 SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CONTINUED PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF SNOWY HYDRO LIMITED How to contact the committee Members of the Select Committee on the continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited can be contacted through the Committee Secretariat. Correspondence and enquiries should be directed to: The Director Select Committee on the continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited Legislative Council Parliament House, Macquarie Street Sydney New South Wales 2000 Internet: www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/snowyhydro Email: [email protected] Telephone: 02 9230 3544 Facsimile: 02 9230 3416 Report - October 2006 iii LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited Terms of reference 1. That a select committee be appointed to inquire into and report on the continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited, and in particular: (a) impacts on the short and long term financial position of the Government including revenue and recurrent costs, (b) future capital expenditure requirements of Snowy Hydro Limited in order to remain competitive in the national energy market, (c) control of water regulation, (d) access to lands controlled by Snowy Hydro Limited, (e) removal of disused Hydro infrastructure in National Parks, (f) heritage issues, (g) any other related matters. 2. That the committee consist of seven members comprising: (a) Government members: Mr Catanzariti, Mr Donnelly and Ms Fazio, (b) Opposition members: Mrs Forsythe* and Mrs Pavey, and (c) Cross bench members: Ms Hale and Revd Dr Moyes. 3. That, notwithstanding anything contained in the standing orders: (a) the Chair of the committee be Revd Dr Moyes, and (b) the Deputy Chair be Mrs Pavey. 4. That the committee report by Friday 27 October 2006. 5. That the minutes of proceedings, evidence, all papers, documents, reports and records of the Select Committee on the proposed sale of Snowy Hydro Limited, appointed on 3 May 2006, be referred to the committee. Minutes of Proceedings No 6, 7 June 2006, Items 26 and 35 *The Hon Charlie Lynn MLC was appointed to replace Mrs Forsythe, Minutes of Proceedings No 15, 20 September 2006, Items 3 iv Report - October 2006 SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CONTINUED PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF SNOWY HYDRO LIMITED Committee membership Rev the Hon Dr Gordon Moyes MLC Christian Democratic Party Chair Hon Melinda Pavey MLC The Nationals Deputy Chair Hon Tony Catanzariti MLC Australian Labor Party Hon Greg Donnelly MLC Australian Labor Party Hon Amanda Fazio MLC Australian Labor Party Hon Patricia Forsythe MLC Liberal Party Until 19 September 2006 Hon Charlie Lynn MLC Liberal Party From 20 September 2006 Ms Sylvia Hale The Greens Report - October 2006 v LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited Table of contents Chair’s foreword x Executive summary xi Summary of recommendations xiii Glossary xiv Chapter 1 Conduct of the inquiry 1 Establishment of the inquiry 1 Select Committee inquiry into the proposed sale of Snowy Hydro Limited 1 Select Committee inquiry into the continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited 2 Conduct of the inquiry into the continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro 2 Submissions 2 Hearings and public forum 2 Site visit 3 Report structure 3 Chapter 2 Snowy Hydro Limited 5 Brief history 5 The Snowy Scheme 7 Snowy Hydro Limited 10 Corporate governance 10 Revenue 10 Assets 11 Regulatory framework 12 Corporate regulation 12 Electricity regulation 12 Environmental regulation in the Kosciuszko National Park 12 Water regulation 13 Who regulates the water? 20 Conclusion 21 Proposed sale of Snowy Hydro Limited 21 NSW Government’s reasons for the proposed sale 21 Conclusion 22 Chapter 3 Snowy Hydro Limited activities within Kosciuszko National Park 23 The regulation of Snowy Hydro in the KNP 23 Kosciuszko National Park Plan of Management 2006 23 vi Report - October 2006 SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CONTINUED PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF SNOWY HYDRO LIMITED Snowy Management Plan 24 Environmental Management Plan 24 Snowy Park Lease 25 Access to land 26 Committee comment 28 Cabramurra and tourism 28 Management of unused Snowy Hydro infrastructure and sites 29 Community concerns in relation to the removal of infrastructure 30 Cloud seeding 30 How cloud seeding works 31 Snowy Hydro cloud seeding trial 32 Stakeholder views regarding cloud seeding 33 Conclusion 34 Chapter 4 Issues concerning the proposed sale of Snowy Hydro Limited 35 The proposal to sell Snowy Hydro 35 Potential impacts of the sale 36 Control of water regulation 36 An Australian “icon” 38 Revenue to governments 40 Trend towards privatisation of public utilities 41 Concerns about the management of the proposed sale 41 Communication during the process 41 Share offers to employees and executives of Snowy Hydro 44 Costs to governments of the abandoned sale 45 Potential impact of continued public ownership 46 Community funding 46 Employment for future generations 47 Conclusion 48 Chapter 5 Future growth of Snowy Hydro Limited 49 Does Snowy Hydro need to grow? 49 The National Electricity Market 49 The role of Snowy Hydro in the National Electricity Market 49 Recent changes in the National Electricity Market 49 Snowy Hydro response to changes in the NEM 50 Does Snowy Hydro need a high growth strategy? 51 Committee comment 52 Snowy Hydro strategies for the future 53 Cash cow 53 Risk manager 54 Report - October 2006 vii LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited Major player 55 Committee comment 56 Financing Snowy Hydro’s growth strategy 56 Governments inject capital into the company 57 Reduced dividends to shareholders 58 Commonwealth Government buy out Victorian and NSW Governments 59 Bonds 61 Sell off the trading business and lease the Snowy Scheme assets 63 Recapitalisation 64 Committee comment 65 Appendix 1 Terms of reference for the inquiry into the proposed sale of Snowy Hydro Limited 67 Appendix 2 Submissions 69 Appendix 3 Witnesses and the public forum 73 Appendix 4 Water regulations and agreements 76 Appendix 5 Minutes 80 Appendix 6 Dissenting statements 105 viii Report - October 2006 SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CONTINUED PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF SNOWY HYDRO LIMITED Tables and figures Figure 2.1 Snowy Scheme and Kosciuszko National Park Map 8 Figure 2.2 The Snowy Scheme 9 Figure 2.3 Overview of water regulatory arrangements for Snowy Hydro 15 Figure 3.1 How cloud seeding works 32 Report - October 2006 ix LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL Continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited Chair’s foreword I am pleased to present the report of the Select Committee on the continued public ownership of Snowy Hydro Limited. This report examines the future of the company following the withdrawal of the three shareholding Governments from the proposed sale in June 2006. This inquiry, and an earlier inquiry established at the time of the proposed sale, have revealed a deeply held affection among New South Wales citizens for the Snowy Scheme. A feat of engineering skill and human endurance, the scheme is largely based in one of Australia’s most beautiful national parks and holds special significance for many people. The Committee became acutely aware of community support for retaining public ownership of the iconic Snowy Scheme during its visit to Cooma in July of this year. Snowy Hydro has effectively made the transition from Commonwealth-owned authority to a successful publicly owned company. The Committee recognises, however, that due to recent changes in the National Electricity Market, including vertical integration, Snowy Hydro must pursue a high growth strategy if it is to remain viable in the long term. We have been mindful of the strength of community support for keeping the Snowy Scheme in public hands, and for ensuring it meets its environmental and irrigation obligations. The Committee recommends that the NSW Government pursue the position jointly taken with the Victorian Government: that the Commonwealth acquire Snowy Hydro Limited and that any acquisition must guarantee the retention of existing water entitlements and the public ownership of the corporation. In addition, the NSW Government must ensure the community is adequately informed about any future proposals regarding the ownership or funding of Snowy Hydro. On behalf of the Committee, I thank each of the inquiry participants for their time and expertise. I am grateful to my Committee colleagues for the work they have undertaken on this inquiry and their contribution to this report. On their behalf, I would like to acknowledge the Secretariat. In particular, Rebecca Main, Glenda Baker, Beverly Duffy, Stephen Frappell and Marie Burton. I commend this report to the Government. Revd the Hon Gordon Moyes MLC Chair x Report - October 2006 SELECT COMMITTEE ON THE CONTINUED PUBLIC OWNERSHIP OF SNOWY HYDRO LIMITED Executive summary Chapter 1 Snowy Hydro Limited (Snowy Hydro) is an unlisted public company owned by the New South Wales, Victorian and Commonwealth Governments. The company operates the Snowy Mountains Hydro- Electric Scheme (Snowy Scheme) which is a dual purpose hydro-electric and irrigation scheme located predominantly in the Kosciuszko National Park, New South Wales.
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