LV Mine Rehabilitation: Proposed EES for Hazelwood – Some merit, but …..

GREAT LATROBE PARK INC. MEDIA RELEASE 13th April 2022

LV MINE REHABILITATION: PROPOSED EES FOR HAZELWOOD – SOME MERIT, BUT …..

GREAT LATROBE PARK INC. MEDIA RELEASE 13th April 2022

LV MINE REHABILITATION: PROPOSED EES FOR HAZELWOOD – SOME MERIT, BUT …..

Great Latrobe Park Inc, (GLP) exists to champion appropriate rehabilitation and repurposing of the existing Latrobe Valley brown coal mine voids through full and open community consultation. It endorses the recent announcement that the Government now requires an Environmental Effects Statement (EES) to be prepared for the Hazelwood Mine.

Decisions regarding repurposing of the mine voids require a great deal of hard data before informed, sensible and acceptable strategies can or should be formulated. A comprehensive and independent EES is the best way to ensure this.

Having said this, GLP does have reservations about requiring Engie to commission and present an EES at this time. As all 3 mine void owners currently propose to fill their voids with water and there is insufficient water to make this a reality, requiring an EES now suggests each individual Company will be responsible for determining their own closure plan without any “bigger picture” constraints. There are several major weaknesses to this form of decision making. For example, in terms of the creation of either full or partial pit lakes, it seems likely that:

1. the strategy unfairly advantages first movers. This might mean that Hazelwood is likely to have access to more available water than either Yallourn or Loy Yang when their turn comes.

2. significant risk exists if for any reason target water levels cannot be reached that residual instability in certain areas will require remedial works. Generally, the lowest cost option is for these to be undertaken prior to commencing filling with water. In the event that water filling has commenced and the lowest cost options are no longer available, in the worst case, remedial actions could entail relocations of the Princes Freeway at Morwell, Traralgon By-pass (yet to be built) or the Morwell and Latrobe Rivers at Yallourn.

3. From a regional perspective, water needs to be carefully and strategically allocated with a significant understanding of the areas of greatest cost avoidance or greatest value. This has major community, economic and environmental sustainability considerations, not simply one of commercial expedience.

Nina Burke

President, Great Latrobe Park Inc.
[email protected]

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Dispersive clay inside the Yallourn Mine 9 March 2022