16th August 2024

It has been 10 years since Voices of the Valley was established during the Hazelwood Mine Fire, advocating for the health and safety of the people of the Latrobe Valley. During the fire and for a couple of years afterwards, Voices of the Valley was most concerned with the immediate effects of the fire on health and recovery. The second Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry, where Voices of the Valley played and important part, made numerous recommendations about health, and mine rehabilitation, most of which were accepted and implemented by the Victorian government.

Since 2016, we have continued to focus on health and have also advocated and devised plans for the region's transition to a renewable energy. This includes  submissions on wind and solar energy, review of licences for coal-fired power stations by the EPA, and community consultations on various projects such as the Maryvale paper mill energy-from-waste project, the HESC (Hydrogen from coal at Loy Yang) project, and the proposed ULAB (Used Lead Acid Battery) recycling project in Hazelwood North, among others, through Engage Victoria.

We continue to monitor Hazelwood mine rehabilitation as well as developments at AGL Loy Yang, Alinta Loy Yang B, Energy Australia, the hydrogen from coal project the energy-from-waste project, and the progress of off-shore wind farms and associated infrastructure development.

At our Annual General Meeting this month, the present office holders were confirmed for another year and some new committee members were elected.

In the coming year we anticipate continued involvement with renewable energy initiatives, job creation linked to renewable energy projects in the Gippsland region and solidarity with other Australian regions transitioning away from fossil fuel industries.

In particular we stand with the regions opposed to nuclear energy for Australia.