NEWS/UPDATES
AGL and Cannon-Brookes
In May, billionaire tech entrepreneur Mike Cannon-Brookes again stood up and rattled the can. His private investment company Grok Ventures acquired an 11.3 per cent stake in AGL, with the stated intention of blocking a proposed demerger of the company that he thinks...
Australia ratifies Minamata Convention on Mercury
Overnight, Australia deposited its Instrument of Ratification for the Minamata Convention on Mercury with the United Nations, officially becoming a ratified Party on 7 December 2021. The treaty will enter into force for Australia on 7 March 2022. Australia signed the...
Coal Ash Concerns
Burning coal to generate electricity has resulted in Latrobe Valley’s power stations producing millions of tonnes of coal ash every year that needs to be stored, managed, rehabilitated, and if safe, reused. So, is coal ash dangerous and what will happen to these...
Community alliance warns Victoria could be left high and dry without drastic change to water management
An alliance of community and environment groups have made a public plea to the Victorian government to drastically change tack on water management across the state or risk leaving Victoria high and dry. The alliance has published a joint statement and written to...
Changes to Waste and Recycling Regulations
The EPA held an information webinar in February on Waste and Resource Recovery Determinations - for reducing unnecessary regulatory barriers for recycling in Victoria. This is to support a new recycling system and build a circular economy for the state. The aim of...
A Wrap on the Year that has been
In concurrence with the global health pandemic, our region has been facing another great challenge. Whilst this year will mark most of our lives, it is also a milestone for the rehabilitation of our coal mines here in the Latrobe Valley. In the public sphere the...
Engie’s Concept Master Plan and what it means for water
Engie have released their Concept Master Plan for rehabilitation of the Hazelwood mine, and envisions the Morwell River being re-diverted through the mine land “once fill [water] is assured”. Yallourn also plans to interconnect their full pit lake with the Morwell...
Community Response to a Problem of Massive Proportions
When a group of local residents met at a summit earlier this year to discuss mine rehabilitation in the Latrobe Valley, they held serious concerns. Chiefly, contamination leaching from inadequately managed coal ash dumps; and the enormous amount of fresh water from...
Coal ash contains toxins and heavy metals such as mercury, lead, cadmium, which can leak into aquifers, soil, and rivers and lakes where our families fish and our children swim.
It's time our regulators @VicGovEPA took their jobs seriously.
https://www.gippslandtimes.com.au/news/2023/03/20/agl-firm-on-waste-extension-and-loy-yang-a-closure/?utm_source=News+Wrap&utm_campaign=c88607ddf6-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_12_21_09_18_COPY_60&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-d6eff96ef9-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D&mc_cid=c88607ddf6&mc_eid=ae153f0942
Rather than being presented with @ENGIEgroup lowest-cost rehab, which drains our rivers and threatens to pollute our water sources, alternative options must be investigated and the community given the opportunity to participate in future planning.
https://reneweconomy.com.au/can-an-old-coal-pit-be-turned-into-a-lake-hazelwood-plans-set-off-water-trigger/?fbclid=IwAR1g32w3V_TyHvuz_fw24ZqlOJy9g55DCDrc36kO6TGZyWi0Gwp3IdFZXAA
This comes after an expert report revealed problems with @ENGIEgroup plans, finding that if the mine was flooded without removing the highly toxic coal ash stored inside it, toxic pollution could be released into water sources and Gippsland Lakes.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-02-22/hazelwood-mine-rehabilitation-plan-impact-assessment/102006926