Challenges for
Repurposing
Introduction
GLP is supportive of the Government’s intention to protect the citizens of Victoria from the costs of rehabilitation, but rehabilitation will not guarantee a suitable platform for repurposing or an improved aesthetic and will not deliver any replacement economic activity for the citizens of Latrobe Valley. According to Stephen R Covey’s much lauded book, “The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People”, “Habit 2 – Begin with the end in mind” (Covey, 2013, p. 102) would strongly suggest that determining repurposing objectives/plans should be used to inform rehabilitation plans/objectives. There are many possibilities for repurposing but these need to be quantified and prioritised and appropriate relationships determined within the constraints of the available lands. This is planning that could, and should, be undertaken now.
Leadership
GLP has spent most of the last 2 years attempting to get several of the parties listed in Interested Parties to step up and take a leadership role in repurposing. GLP has been totally unsuccessful in this attempt and concluded that there is a leadership vacuum on the matter of repurposing. GLP is of the view that the all-important role of leadership cannot be fulfilled from within the Latrobe Valley and that only an eminent Australian will have any chance of bringing all of the players together to create a single agreed plan for advancing repurposing.
Process
Current rehabilitation processes only consider repurposing after rehabilitation, maintenance period and land relinquishment.
Refer to the table below for Mine Relinquishment Dates
| Mine | Power Station Operations Cease | Mine Operations Cease | Mine Site Relinquishment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Engie Hazelwood | 2017 | 2017 | 2035 - 2040 |
| EnergyAustralia Yallourn | 2028 | 2028 | 2051 |
| AGL Loy Yang A | 2035 | 2035 | 2070 |
| Alinta Loy Yang B | 2047 | 2047 | > 2070 |
Lost Opportunities
It is immediately obvious from the table above that the dates from which job losses occur (closure date) to the current plan for repurposing commencement (relinquishment date) are decades apart. There are opportunities that will be lost simply due to the process involved. This needs to change to realise this and many other opportunities in a much timelier timeframe to minimise the adverse impacts.
Scale
There is the risk that governments consider that doing nothing is a zero-cost option. GLP has been working for some time to identify parties that can conduct a study to determine the likely social and consequential State and Federal Government budget cost impacts in doing nothing. GLP is strongly of the view that early intervention will prove to minimise harm within the community and be cost effective for both State and Federal Governments.
Based on data from the 2021 census, the Local Government Area (LGA) of Latrobe City Council (LCC) was classed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), as 1 of only 2 LGAs in Victoria’s 79 LGAs as the “most socio-economically disadvantaged” (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2021).
The economic impacts are significant and likely to negatively affect many within the Latrobe Valley and potentially damage our social fabric.
What is needed is replacement of the lost economic asset by one or more economic assets of equal value whilst taking the opportunity to address underlying social-economic disadvantage.