Opportunities:
Introduction
Following consultation with nearly all interested parties, GLP believes the interested parties’ objectives are not aligned and the interests of the Latrobe Valley community are inconsequential. In order to overcome the lack of engagement of interested parties in repurposing of mine sites, GLP believes an external independent eminent Australian leader is required to develop this plan.
Social disadvantage needs to be addressed as part of the plan.
Mine licences and areas together with mine land ownership and areas are shown in the table below. For EnergyAustralia Pty Limited Yallourn, the discrepancy on the mine licence area vs mine land is primarily due to parts of the site being crown land, and some minor discrepancies on the boundary lines.
| Mine Land Owner | Min Land Site | Mining Lease | Mining Lease Area (km2) | Mining Land Owned Area (km2) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ENGIE | Hazelwood (Morwell) | MIN5004 | 33.20 | 40.00 |
| EnergyAustralia Pty Limited | Yallourn | MIN5003, MIN5126, MIN5304 | 55.95 | 50.85 |
| AGL Limited | Loy Yang | MIN5189 | 45.64 | ? |
| Total | 134.75 | ? | ||
| Latrobe City Council (LCC) | Not applicable | 1 425.00 | 1 425.00 | |
| % Mining Land Owner of Latrobe City Council (LCC) | 9.46% | ? |
Currently, the mine land owned areas (including mining lease area) identified in the table above are fenced to exclude public access and look like industrial sites. A fundamental assumption for any plan for repurposing is that the mine lands achieve “community benefit”. GLP has developed the following definition of “community benefit”:
Identification of lands that are contaminated with an understanding of the limitations of use and appropriate uses proposed.
Identification and protection of areas of environmental and cultural and heritage significance.
Lands and water bodies with maximised public access for alternate purposes.
By definition isolated pockets of contaminated lands without connection would be an outcome that would not satisfy GLP’s definition of “community benefit” but mine lands and water bodies don’t need to be solely community owned.