NSW Premier Bob Carr told the crowd that where they were standing would be deep under fast white water within 10 years. Craig Ingram said the Snowy was part of Australia's cultural heritage. They have made movies about it. There has been poems written about it. We have immortalised it.
Today is the first step in achieving what is an ecologically sustainable flow for the Snowy River.
Australian Conservation Foundation president Peter Garrett said it was a rare instance in which an environmental problem was afforded the level of financial commitment it deserved. For many, the announcement was the culmination of 25 years' campaigning. Max White, from the Snowy River Alliance, could hardly believe it. We think this is the catalyst for wins for rivers throughout Australia, not just the Snowy. It will be the forerunner of many.