Latrobe City Council is continuing its advocacy for local communities to share in the benefit of Victoria's energy transition, lodging a submission on Energy Australia's application for a bulk water entitlement to rehabilitate the Yallourn Mine following the eventual closure of Yallourn W Power Station.
The submission builds on Council's previous advocacy regarding AGL's Loy Yang Mine bulk water entitlement application and reinforces the need for transparent water pricing, fair reinvestment of revenue into local communities and careful consideration of long-term water management impacts.
Latrobe City Council Mayor, Councillor Sharon Gibson, said the City was at the centre of Victoria's energy transition and should receive a fair share of the benefits generated through mine rehabilitation activities.
"Latrobe City is home to all three of Victoria's declared coal mines and will continue to manage the greatest economic, environmental and social impacts associated with mine and power station closures," Cr Gibson said.
"It is essential that any revenue generated through water access arrangements is reinvested into the communities that are most directly affected by these changes."
"Once all of Latrobe City's coal-fired power stations close, Council will see a loss in the millions of dollars in rates revenue every year. That funding currently helps pay for things people rely on every day, like local roads, parks, libraries, sporting facilities and community spaces.
Council's submission follows the Victorian Government's decision to return 100 percent of water access revenue from AGL's Loy Yang Mine rehabilitation entitlement to Latrobe Valley and Gippsland communities through the Regional Jobs and Infrastructure Fund.
While Council welcomed that commitment, Cr Gibson said greater certainty was needed around how future funding would be distributed.
"The approved Loy Yang entitlement alone is expected to generate around $247 million over the next 30 years. As further mine rehabilitation projects progress, including Yallourn, the value returned to communities could amount to hundreds of millions of dollars over coming decades," she said.
The submission also raises the importance of long-term management of Lake Narracan, recognising its significance to future residential growth, community liveability, recreation opportunities and regional water security.
"Lake Narracan is important to our community and its future management needs to be considered in broader mine rehabilitation and water planning decisions," Cr Gibson said.
Council's submission notes that, unlike several other Australian energy transition regions, Latrobe City does not currently receive a dedicated long-term State or Commonwealth transition funding package despite experiencing more greater cumulative impacts of successive coal mine and power station closures than other regions.
