Cite: http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article2920802

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Guthega Tunnel

Opened In

Snowy Scheme

ISLAND BEND, Friday.

The third major step of the Snowy Moun- tains hydro-electric scheme was opened up to-day by Mrs.W.Hudson, wife of the  

Snowy Mountains Authority Commissioner.

Mrs.Hudson opened the 3 1/4-mile Guthega

tunnel, which will carry water from Guthega

dam to Munyang power station.         By the end of this year, this power station will be supplying 60,000 k.w. of electricity into the N.S.W. inter-connected system.

The ceremony was per-  

formed where Norwegian workmen broke through to complete the tunnel last Monday.  

About 100 officials of the Snowy scheme and the Selmer Engineering Company to-night   made the first train trip through the tunnel in seven diesel-drawn trucks .  

The train passengers cheered as the diesel-engine hooter drew attention to the historic parts in   the progress of the tough tun-   nel job.  

The work carried out by the   Selmer Engineering Co, Nor- way, was begun exactly a year ago after completion of the pre- paratory stages.      

Estimated cost of the Snowy Mountains hydro-electric scheme   had fallen by £20-million since 1952, the Minister for National Development, Mr Spooner, said today.  

The tunnel will pipe water from a dam nearing completion

on the headwaters of the Snowy River to a hydro-electric station.

Completion of the tunnel has brought within sight the day

when the first power from the Snowy scheme would be generat-

ed he said.    

"The 320,000 k.w. power sta- tion at Tumut Ponds will begin to produce power in 1958," he

went on.

"Within the following two or     three years, we will see the di- version of 500,000 acre feet of water a year to the Murrumbid- gee Valley.    

"Completion of the Guthega   project is only the beginning of   the whole vast scheme."

Senator Spooner said that the Government had recently let contracts to American, British,   Swedish and French organisa- tions for nearly £30 million.

This was in addition to the £46 million already allocated to the scheme, he said.  

"The 1952 estimate of £442 million, instead of rising by some £200 million as the critics

said, has, in fact, fallen by £20 million," Senator Spooner added.  

As further units of the   scheme came into operation, el- ectricity production and opera- tings costs would become very

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