Background

Proponent: Hazelwood Power Corporation Pty Ltd and the Hazelwood Power Partnership (Hazelwood Pacific Pty Ltd, Australian Power Partners B.V., Hazelwood Churchill Pty Ltd and National Power Australia Investments Ltd) (together, ENGIE Hazelwood)

The project involves the rehabilitation of the former Hazelwood Mine to a safe, stable and sustainable landform capable of supporting productive land uses. The site of the former Hazelwood Power Station and Mine is on Gunaikurnai country in the Latrobe Valley in Victoria, immediately south of the township of Morwell, approximately 150 kilometres east of Melbourne

The project consists of the following proposed components and activities:

  • Filling of the mine void to a final level of up to RL +45m AHD, with a maximum depth of 116m and covering an area of 1,145 hectares, using predominately groundwater, surface water and any other approved water sources.
  • Final rehabilitation and re-profiling works on the upper mine batters (i.e. above the surface of the future mine lake) to construct geotechnically and erosionally stable landforms and to ensure adequate surface and sub-surface drainage.
  • Final decommissioning and drainage of the Hazelwood Cooling Pond and restoration of the natural alignment of Eel Hole Creek.
  • Decommissioning remaining redundant infrastructure, such as redundant roads, car parks, buildings, pumphouses on the Hazelwood Cooling Pond and Saline Water Outlet Pipeline.
  • Construction and operation of infrastructure necessary to maintain lake depth and water quality following completion of fill including potential Morwell River interconnection.

The project proposes a target mine filling period of between 10 and 20 years with a fill of up to 35 years under a worst-case scenario. The mine filling would require approximately 637GL of water for the full pit water body option (+45m AHD).

Process

Scoping requirements

The scoping requirements set out the matters to be investigated and documented in the environment effects statement. Draft scoping requirements for this EES are on exhibition from 19 April to 10 May 2023.

Public comment on the draft scoping requirements is invited via Engage Victoria.

The draft EES scoping requirements are available on Engage Victoria and below.

Draft scoping requirements (PDF, 572.9 KB)

Consultation plan

ENGIE Hazelwood is preparing a consultation plan for the EES, outlining the opportunities and approaches for its community engagement during the preparation of the EES.

Consultation plan (PDF, 1.5 MB)

The Consultation plan will be published and available here once reviewed from by the TRG (see below).

Technical Reference Group

The Department has convened an inter-agency Technical Reference Group to advise the proponent and the Department, as appropriate, on scoping and adequacy of the EES studies during the preparation of the EES, as well as coordination with statutory approval processes.

The government organisations represented on the Technical Reference Group are:

  • Earth Resources Regulation
  • Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action (DEECA) – Gippsland Region
  • Department of Trasport and Planning (DTP) – Planning
  • DEECA – Water and Catchments Group
  • First Peoples – State Relations
  • Heritage Victoria
  • EPA Victoria
  • DTP – Transport
  • Mine Land Rehabilitation Authority
  • Southern Rural Water
  • West Gippsland Catchment Management Authority
  • Latrobe City Council
  • Gunaikurnai Land and Waters Aboriginal Corporation

Technical Reference Group representatives are supported by internal experts on specific aspects of the EES studies.

Minister's decision

In February 2022, the Minister for Planning required ENGIE Hazelwood to prepare an environment effects statement (EES) under the Environment Effects Act 1978 to assess the potential environmental effects of the project.

Minister's reasons for decision (PDF, 519.6 KB)

EES procedures and requirements (PDF, 798.6 KB)

The EES is being undertaken as an accredited process set out in the bilateral agreement under the Commonwealth Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). It will have to assess the relevant matters of national environmental significance identified in the Commonwealth decision that the project is a 'controlled action' requesting approval under the EPBC Act.

More Information

If you have any questions or feedback, please get in touch via the contact details below.

Hazelwood Mine Rehabilitation Project:

Website: https://www.hazelwoodrehabilitation.com.au
☎ Phone: (03) 5135 5000
✉ Email: hazelwood.au@engie.com

EES process queries:

Impact Assessment Unit
☎ Phone: (03) 8622 7633
✉ Email: environment.assessment@delwp.vic.gov.au

Page last updated: 19/04/23