The current program is due to finish next year and covers an area of 1000sqkms but will be extended north to include Selwyn, Kiandra and Cabramurra.

The program takes place over winter and has been designed to seed for snow rather than rain.

Increased cloud seeding has a multi-million dollar price tag but Snowy Hydro is expecting to see returns in both additional water and energy generation.

Tourism Snowy Mountains Executive Officer, Jo Hearne, said: "In this period of climate change and drought the question is who wouldn't want more water and snow."

Snowy River Shire Mayor, Richard Wallace, called it "great news all round" and Lake Eucumbene Chamber of Commerce President, Jan Leckstrom, said it was "a great step for the northern part of the Kosciusko National Park" especially as it would probably mean more water in the Eucumbene catchment.

Terry Charlton, Managing Director, Snowy Hydro Limited said: "This decision has been based on solid physical evidence showing that the current cloud seeding operation is delivering real benefits at a time when climate change is severely impacting the Snowy Mountains region and irrigators on the western rivers."

The corporation pointed to an expert's prediction that cloud seeding provides an average 10 per cent increase in snowfalls over a ten year period.

However, although Snowy Hydro's cloud seeding team are ready to start today, May 1, they will not be able to cloud seed into the new area until State Government legislation has been changed.