Question details
Housing
(1372) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Energy and Resources, and the action I seek is for the minister to explain why she is blocking the development of up to 2000 homes in Traralgon. We are talking about the south-east Traralgon precinct, an area of 187 hectares on the edge of town. The issue that we do have is coal overlays. We have spoken many a time with the minister, asking for these 40-year-old coal overlays to be overturned. They are outdated, obsolete and stifling this development of 2000 shovel-ready homes. In the midst of a housing crisis, we are calling on the minister to review these coal overlays. Doing this will open up these 2000 houses for the people of the Latrobe Valley. I urge the minister to consider taking this issue up, and I look forward to hearing her response.
I thank the Member for Morwell for raising this matter concerning Latrobe City Council’s proposal for future housing in proximity to a significant operating coal mine. This is the Loy Yang Coal Mine in the Latrobe Valley, which currently provides coal to Loy Yang A and B Power Stations.
The Loy Yang coal mine is Australia’s largest brown coal mine and is a Declared Mine under Victorian law. Currently Victoria has three declared mines: Hazelwood, Loy Yang and Yallourn. These coal mines have been declared due to the scale and complexity of the risks they posed to the environment, infrastructure and public safety.
The coal overlays in the Latrobe Planning Scheme are there to ensure there are adequate buffers, or separation distances, between the coal mines and urban areas, to ensure communities’ health, safety and amenity is protected.
Loy Yang Mine is scheduled to close in 2035 and planning for its rehabilitation and repurposing is underway. AGL’s Declared Mine Rehabilitation Plan, which is due by October 2027, must meet stringent safety, environmental and engineering standards, and not leave unacceptable risks or costs to the State.
Once AGL has advanced its rehabilitation planning further, future land use can be considered in a staged and responsible manner.
Safety and amenity for communities must come first.
Hon Lily D’Ambrosio MP
Minister for Climate Action
Minister for Energy and Resources
Minister for the State Electricity Commission