At the August Council Meeting, Latrobe City Council endorsed submissions to the Declared Mine Rehabilitation Plans (DMRPs) for the Hazelwood (ENGIE) and Yallourn W (Energy Australia) mines.
Declared Mine Rehabilitation Plans are a legislated requirement under the Mineral Resources Sustainable Development Amendment Regulations 2022 and are designed to outline the steps that a declared mine licence holder will take to rehabilitate land impacted by mining activities. These plans are developed by mine operators and approved by the Victoria State Government.
Latrobe City Council Mayor, Councillor Dale Harriman said the rehabilitation of Latrobe City's mines represents one of the most significant land transformations in Victoria's history and will shape the region for generations to come.
"Council looks forward to ongoing collaboration with mine operators ENGIE and Energy Australia to ensure the rehabilitation of the mines they own is undertaken in a manner that is responsible, safe, and environmentally sustainable - delivering long term benefits for the Latrobe City community," said the Mayor.
"Council remains committed to working in partnership with government, industry, and the community to ensure that mine rehabilitation efforts contribute meaningfully to environmental restoration, economic diversification, and the long-term resilience of the region."
Across the two submissions Council made a total of eight overarching recommendations which draw on Council's previously endorsed positions aligning with advocacy requirements. This includes:
- Transfer land ownership to State and Federal Government
- Further investigate the cumulative impacts of water usage
- Apply a legacy project or initiative that will benefit the Latrobe City community
- Apply an interrelationship model between mine rehabilitation plans
- Support the Government's proposed recommendation for a bulk water entitlement fee; and
- Consider Council's request to maintain a portion of land for the Inter-township Trail Network project.
- Support the use of the Environmental Effects Statement.
- Consider Council's request to maintain a portion of the mine licence land 3005 for a proposed Centre of Automotive Futures (CAAF).
Council emphasised the need for strong coordination across all three Latrobe Valley mines - Hazelwood, Yallourn W and Loy Yang A - to ensure rehabilitation efforts are integrated, transparent, and deliver maximum benefit to the region.
Council is strongly advocating for the rehabilitation of Yallourn W to be referred to an Environment Effects Statement (EES) process. While Council is already deeply involved in the Hazlewood EES, Energy Australia has not yet initiated the same process for Yallourn mine.
While ENGIE and Energy Australia have released their DMRPs for Hazelwood and Yallourn mines respectively, AGL's plan for the Loy Yang A mine has been deferred by the State Government until 2027. Council is actively contributing to the Environmental Effects Statement process for Hazelwood mine and will continue to advocate for the use of this process at the Yallourn mine site.
