Consultation sessions for the review of the Hazelwood Health Study are about to get underway and the Morwell and Districts Community Recovery Committee is encouraging people across the Latrobe Valley to participate.
Following the 2014 Hazelwood Mine Fire, the long-term study was commissioned by the Department of Health and is being led by Monash University with assistance from Federation University, the University of Tasmania, the University of Adelaide and the CSIRO.
A major component of the study – a survey of adults which is currently underway – does not include residents outside of Morwell.
In response to recommendations from the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry, the State Government this year announced it would review the study to determine whether it should be expanded to include non-Morwell residents.
Morwell and Districts Community Recovery Committee chair Carolyne Boothman said the committee had strongly advocated for the study to be expanded.
“Particularly we want the most affected people like our emergency service workers, staff from the mine and station, contractors and Morwell CBD employees, we need them to be included in this study,” Ms Boothman said.
Deloitte Access Economics has been commissioned to undertake the review which will look at whether the study should include emergency responders; whether it should include people from other towns in the Latrobe Valley; whether the study has been designed to meet its original objectives and to answer the research questions it was set up to answer; whether the study’s governance arrangements are appropriate; and how health information collected by the study will be reported back to the community, and how often.
Community consultation sessions will be held at the Morwell Bowling Club, Hazelwood Road, Morwell.
To assist with catering, people are asked to phone the Deloitte Access Economics project manager on
9671 7910.
If you would like to get in touch with the community recovery committee, phone Carolyne Boothman on
0419 526 709, or visit www.morwellcrc.org.au
The Morwell and Districts Community Recovery Committee is encouraging members of the Latrobe Valley community to participate in the current investigation into the ash in roof cavities in Morwell.
As part of its adoption of the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry’s recommendations, the State Government committed in April to testing for coal ash contamination in Morwell roof cavities.
The inquiry stated if the analysis revealed any potentially hazardous content, that an audit be conducted and an action plan be developed to remove ash from all affected houses.
The community recovery committee is encouraging residents interested in taking part in the investigation to register their details by emailing to roofash@latrobe.vic.gov.au or phoning the service desk at Latrobe City Council on 1300 367 700.
