Energy Australia redesigns pumped hydro facility concept at Lake Lyell in response to Lithgow community concerns

According to a statement from Energy Australia, the visibility of project will be significantly reduced by moving the upper reservoir location to behind the southern ridge of Mt Walker.

The project's pumphouse will now be located underground, the statement read.

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"The design change has been made in response to community feedback. The initial assessment suggests the upper reservoir, to be built on land already owned by Energy Australia, will now not be seen from the majority of Lithgow," the statement said.

"The assessment also indicates the new location will also be either not visible or significantly less visible from Bowenfels, South Bowenfels and Hillcrest Estate."

Energy Australia's Lake Lyell Project Director, Mike de Vink, said the design change was the result of feedback from concerned residents in the community.

"We've been out in the community, listening to people's views on the project. Locals told us they were concerned about how the upper reservoir would look," Mr De Vink said.

"We passed the challenge to our engineers, and we've come up with a solution which substantially reduces the project's visual impact.

"It is expected that the new location means many of the private homes that would have seen the original upper reservoir design will now not see the upper reservoir at all."

Mr De Vink said as a result of the changes, further geotechnical investigations will be required and the community will be kept updated.

Residents expressed their concerns about the original design concept of the proposed project following an approval of further geotechnical investigations at the July Council meeting.

Brielle Mobbs, who purchased a property in Rydal after getting married in the region was in tears as she shared her concerns of the impact the original design potentially had on the landscape.

"I live off the grid for a reason, to raise my son and let him have this beautiful lifestyle and it's [the original upper reservoir design] just going to ruin it," Ms Mobbs said.

"I got married here and loved it so much, that me and my husband moved to a property looking over Lake Lyell and Mount Walker. We put our house there to raise our family and live a beautiful life in the wilderness and among the trees.

"They want to destroy that and the legacy I want to leave my children. It's really heartbreaking."

Local Phil Peyton, whose property has a direct visual outlook of Mount Walker said the original design would have significant impacts on the landscape for the whole Lithgow township.

"We won't want to look at a big wall built there, but neither do other people in the Lithgow township," Mr Peyton said.

"They don't realise what is going to be visible straight down Main Street and Mort Street. You'll be looking at this big concrete wall."

Mr Peyton also expressed his concerns about the environmental impacts a pumped hydro facility could have on Lake Lyell, especially during times of drought.

"We're going to be having a tidal lake, which is going to affect all the wildlife that live on the lake and around the edge of it," Mr Peyton said.

"Dropping two metres of water out every day is just going to be a disaster, especially in times when there is less rainfall and the dam isn't full as it is currently,

"If it's only half full, it's going to have an even bigger impact on the environment, and not to mention the fact that the power generated isn't going to be a substantial amount."

According to Mr De Vink, some properties on Sir Thomas Mitchell Drive and the Rydal side of Lake Lyell will still see the upper reservoir, despite the changes to the design and location.

"We acknowledge that [upper reservoir will be visible] and will keep working with those landowners," Mr De Vink said.

"The change demonstrates we are serious about listening to the community and taking action to address concerns. We're also working hard to reduce environmental and cultural heritage impacts, where possible."