Hazelwood mine owner ENGIE’s plans to turn the mine void into a full pit lake could become a fait accompli if other land uses which may provide the community with better outcomes were discounted early, a Latrobe City Council report says.
The report, which will go before councillors tonight and may be adopted as council’s position regarding the rehabilitation of the mine, states the pit lake may not “appropriately consider” community views and other land uses which could potentially benefit the community and economy more than the proposed pit lake.
The Hazelwood mine and power station ceased operations in March 2017 and ENGIE has since announced a full pit lake as its preferred rehabilitation option for the mine void “in terms of risk management”.
The full lake option was originally slated as part of rehabilitation plans made when Hazelwood was privatised in 1996 and amended to a partial lake in 2009 during a severe drought year.
However, one community group is campaigning to transform the mine into a forested tourist wonderland, the Great Latrobe Park, which Latrobe City council voted to support last month.
The council report states the Latrobe Valley Regional Rehabilitation Strategy, which is being prepared as part of the state government’s response to Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry findings, will likely be completed by March 2020, by which time ENGIE could “foreseeably be filling its mine with water”.
“This apparent fait accompli represents a risk to the community in terms of liability and amenity. The obvious question presents itself: will the community be left with a disappointing and mediocre rehabilitation of Hazelwood?” the report reads.
“Potential uses that could be incorporated into the rehabilitation of the mine include recreation, gardens and other tourism activities; events and festivals; equestrian, motor sports, mountain biking and other sporting facilities; and industry research, development and activation.”
The report makes a number of recommendations including retaining a section of the mine for future coal winning with the remainder to be made available for other uses, as well as diverting a substantial component of state government coal royalties from local mining operations to a Latrobe Valley Brown Coal Royalties Fund to provide ongoing support for transition initiatives.
The report also recommends transferring ownership of the land to the state or federal government to prevent the land from being “sold progressively to other private interests” and to ensure a “coordinated rehabilitation for the benefit of the community”.
To see the full report, visit latrobe.vic.gov.au/About_Us/Our_Council/Minutes_and_Agendas.
Alternatively, today’s council meeting is open to the public and will be held at 6pm at Latrobe City Council headquarters in Morwell.
