The National Parks Association of NSW is calling on the NSW Government and transmission line operator Transgrid to remediate environmental damage to Kosciuszko National Park.
‘The Government approvals that allowed Transgrid to clear the easement require careful management of cascading impacts such as weeds and erosion’ stated Mr Dunnett.
‘Our inspection of publicly accessible sections of the construction site revealed areas of wash and erosion, seeding of invasive species including blackberry, and no evidence of revegetation. The community was assured that the environmental impact on Kosciuszko National Park, though massive, would be kept to an absolute minimum. The evidence suggests anything but the expected level of care warranted in a National Park’ Mr Dunnett continued.
NPA is calling on the NSW Environment Minister to order an investigation of Transgrid’s failure to comply with the conditions of working in the highly sensitive alpine environment. ‘Kosciuszko should never have been treated as an infrastructure project and these failures demonstrate why such development has no place in a National Park’ concluded Mr Dunnett.
The attached photos show the enormity of the destruction on the western side of the Tumut River of the 140 metre-wide easement that traverses 8 kilometres of the Park. The future construction of two sets of steel lattice towers, 70 metres high, with 52 suspended cables, will exacerbate the blight, that will be visible over 200 square kilometres.
‘It is reprehensible that the NSW and Federal Governments approved the construction of such massive overhead transmission lines, especially when the Park’s Plan of Management specifically required any additional transmission to be placed underground’ stated NPA CEO Gary Dunnett.
This is the first time since 1976 (half a century ago) that a major overhead transmission line has been built in a NSW National Park.
ENDS
Media Contact NPA CEO Gary Dunnett (02) 9299 0000
