The following comes from the Sydney Morning Herald and Age newspapers, journalist is Ben Cubby. March 30, 2012
THE state electricity agency TransGrid has admitted its contractors sprayed herbicide across a swathe of wilderness in the Kosciuszko National Park, scarring the landscape and killing thousands of alpine plants.
Patches along a 17-kilometre stretch of power line, amounting to about 20 hectares, were affected by the herbicide, and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage is investigating the electricity agency.
Contractors were undertaking ”routine vegetation management” on behalf of TransGrid along the route of the transmission line in rugged country between Khancoban and the Guthega ski fields last year, when an ad hoc decision was made to spray the area without approval.
In December, National Parks and Wildlife Service staff spotted what one described as a ”moonscape” of dead vegetation in some areas. TransGrid had not reported the herbicide use to government agencies.
It is not the first time TransGrid has been caught destroying vegetation in the area’s protected wilderness. In 2001, it was found to have mown down trees along cable routes in the Brindabella, Namadgi and Kosciuszko national parks, and was eventually fined $130,000.
This week the electricity agency said it had approval to clear some vegetation from around the power line but conceded herbicide should not have been used.
”TransGrid acknowledges … its contractor undertook vegetation management using a method which was not approved under the specifications of the [environmental impact assessment],” a spokeswoman said.
”TransGrid has investigated the incident and is working closely with the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage to implement a specific and targeted rehabilitation plan.”
The agency said about 2 per cent of the area, which forms a corridor about 17 kilometres long and 60 metres wide, was affected. No threatened species of plant or animal was affected, it said.
The National Parks and Wildlife Service said it was contemplating further action.
”NPWS considers vegetation damage of this type to be a serious potential breach of the National Parks and Wildlife Act and regulations,” said the regional manager, Dave Darlington.
”NPWS asked TransGrid for a comprehensive report into the incident and for their remediation proposals … the report forms part of the investigation by NPWS into the Transgrid incident and that investigation is ongoing.”
What else does one expect from Transgrid? The scar they made down the face of the Brindabellas still stands out like a sore thumb every time it snows.
Presumably their contractors – who must have a collective brain the size of a stunted pea – will be given all the blame. They do deserve blame, just not all of it.
Finally, the detail in the article doesn’t work out. 17km x 60 metres is 102 Ha not 20 Ha. If it is only 2% of the area it is 2Ha not 20Ha. The delicate scent in the is not, I fear, that of native vegetation but the distinctive aroma of bullshit!
Fine them so much money that it nearly sends them broke, they might think twice about it doing this the next time