Labor appoints former Liberal leader Sussan Ley to Snowy Hydro board role

A former coalition leader has been appointed by the Labor government to help steer the nation's most expensive and delayed renewable energy project.

Sussan Ley will sit on the Snowy Hydro board following her resignation from politics earlier this year, Climate Minister Chris Bowen announced on Monday.

The wholly government-owned project includes eight power stations and more than a dozen dams, spanning more than 100 kilometres from Thredbo to Tumut in NSW's south.

Snowy 2.0 is now being built and will store excess power from wind and solar, intended to become the centrepiece of the project.

Ley quit politics in February after being deposed by Angus Taylor as opposition leader, ending a 24-year career. She then took a reflective road trip around the United States, absorbing the sights of little-travelled areas on Greyhound buses.

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Now, it is time for her to begin again — this time by tackling one of the country's most controversial projects.

Snowy 2.0, in the NSW Kosciuszko National Park, is seven years behind schedule. Costs have so far ballooned to $12 billion from an initial $2 billion budget and are expected to grow further.

It faced scrutiny for safety issues and hefty executive bonuses despite missing targets.

Ley's previous electorate of Farrer takes in the Murrumbidgee, Murray River and Albury, where many Snowy workers live.

She is being appointed alongside Merryn York, who has worked extensively on engineering technology.

"Their combined knowledge and skill will help Snowy Hydro deliver reliable power, stronger regional economies and more Australian jobs," Bowen said.

The women will replace outgoing board members Sandra Dodds and Scott Mitchell.

It is not the first time a Labor government has appointed a former Liberal politician to a government role. Previous NSW energy minister Matt Kean was named as the chair of the Climate Change Authority in 2024.