Key facts
- Chief financial officer Kim Josling received a $215,440 bonus on a pay packet worth $828,839, per the annual report.
- Chief operating officer Maia Schweizer received a $255,570 bonus on a base salary of $1,050,503.
- Chief commercial officer Gordon Wymer received a $280,915 bonus on a base salary of $1,142,268.
- Snowy Hydro said short-term incentives are based on performance outcomes across parts of its business.
- Snowy Hydro 2.0 is now not expected to be completed and fully commissioned until 2029.
- CSIRO chief executive Doug Hilton received a $198,517 bonus on a $789,391 base salary, per its annual report.
Executives at Snowy Hydro received bonuses totaling $751,925 in the 2025-2026 financial year, Guardian Australia reported on November 3, 2026, citing the company's annual report. The payments came as the company's Snowy Hydro 2.0 renewable energy project's cost estimate reached as much as $25 billion, up from an original $2 billion when the Turnbull government put it forward in 2017.
Chief executive Dennis Barnes, whose base salary is $1,845,126, opted not to accept the extra cash. Chief financial officer Kim Josling, whose pay packet is worth $828,839, received a $215,440 bonus. Chief operating officer Maia Schweizer received a $255,570 bonus on a base salary of $1,050,503, and chief commercial officer Gordon Wymer received a $280,915 bonus on a base salary of $1,142,268.
A Snowy Hydro spokesperson said short-term incentives are based on a range of performance outcomes across parts of the company's business. The spokesperson said Barnes recommended to the board that he receive no short-term incentive payment for the 2025-2026 financial year.
The project's cost estimate was revised to almost $13 billion in 2023, with construction then expected to be completed by the end of 2028. Snowy 2.0 is now not expected to be completed and fully commissioned until 2029.
Separately, CSIRO chief executive Doug Hilton received a bonus of $198,517 on top of a $789,391 base salary, according to the agency's 2025-2026 annual report. He was the only senior executive to receive a payment classed as salary at risk. A CSIRO spokesperson said the board determined the annual value of the at-risk payment, assessed on key performance indicators, and that the agency's workforce is expected to remain stable with additional government funding.