Background: Why is a pit lake proposed?

The Government’s mine rehabilitation commissioner, Professor Rae Mackay, said filling the mines with water was the preferred outcome because it would stabilise them.

“It’s very much about safety, stability. And it’s also a little bit about sustainability as well.” Professor Mackay said.

“We want to try and find a way that doesn’t actually cost us a lot of money or cost us a lot of effort to actually maintain these pits into the future.”

What will the pits take to fill?

Hazelwood – 725 GL + annual evaporation 15-20 years uninterrupted fill time
Yallourn – 725 GL + annual evaporation 20-25 years uninterrupted fill time
Loy Yang – 1,420 GL +annual evaporation 20 – 30 years uninterrupted fill time

Why are we concerned?

  • We are in a drying climate. Latrobe river flows have dropped 25% since 1997 from 8,000 GL to 6,000 GL per year. They are forecast to drop to just 4,000 GL/pa by 2060. This is a 50% drop in just 60 years.

  • The mines require over 3,000,000 ML to fill all three mines which is estimated to take 60 years to completely fill.

  • Less mine return water will put pressure on stream flows and irrigation licence entitlements. Irrigators have access to a total of 13,400 ML pa however only 3.6 ML is held in storage. The balance is reliant on streamflow and mine return water.

  • Water is currently sitting in Blue Rock dam, not being used.

  • There is a great economic benefit to the use of the water in agriculture, as opposed filling pit lakes.

The Opportunity is now.. just add water!

  • Between 1,000 -1,500 new job for Gippslanders (farm gate & service providers)

  • Over $500 million of additional farm gate revenue, estimated to be worth over $2 billion dollars annually to the local economy.

  • Ability to irrigate land with new, water efficient technology that was previously unviable

  • c.30,000 ha that could be firstly developed, with opportunity for a further c.20,000 ha if incorporated with the MID and beyond.

How this could be achieved

List of Bulk entitlement holders

Holder: Gippsland Water
Annual Entitlement Volume (GL): 20
Purpose: Held by Gippsland Water to supply urban and Industral demands including supply by agreements.

Holder: Gippsland Water
Annual Entitlement Volume (GL): 62
Purpose: Held by Gippsland Water to supply urban and Industral demands including supply by agreements.

Holder: Gippsland Water
Annual Entitlement Volume (GL): 4.7
Purpose: Held by Gippsland Water to supply urban and Industrial demands

Holder: Energy Australia
Annual Entitlement Volume (GL): 36.5
Purpose: Held by Energy Australia for Power Generation

Holder: AGL
Annual Entitlement Volume (GL): 40
Purpose: Held by AGL Loy Yang Partnership for Power Generation

Holder: SRW
Annual Entitlement Volume (GL): 20
Purpose: Held by SRW and supplied to Loy Yang B (who holds a license) for power generation.

Holder: The Enviromental Minister
Annual Entitlement Volume (GL): 25
Purpose: Held by the Environmental Minister (BE created to allow for further expansion of power generation.

Holder: SRW
Annual Entitlement Volume (GL): 13
Purpose: Held by SRW to supply section 51 licence holders  in the Latrobe system.eld by the Environmental Minister (BE created to allow for further expansion of power generation.

Holder: VEWH
Annual Entitlement Volume (GL): Rules Based
Purpose: Holder (VEWH) for the Environment

Holder: VEWH
Annual Entitlement Volume (GL): Rules Based
Purpose: Holder (VEWH) for the Environment

Holder: SRW
Annual Entitlement Volume (GL): Rules Based
Purpose: The Volume of allocation (temp water) available for the purchase by other entitlement holders in the Latrobe system under certain conditions.

Bluerock Dam Reserve

Plenty of water to go around.. Plenty of water that has not been historically used..

Blue Rock Lake
Blue Rock Lake

Where to from here – step by step

Our Request

  • Water security into the future

  • Greater irrigation water availability for agriculture

  • Partner with us

  • Assist us with commissioning an economic study of the highest and best use of the water for now and in to the future

The cost of doing nothing vs what could be..

  • Over 1,000 possible new jobs

  • A thriving Gippsland where people have job opportunities

  • Two hours to Melbourne with c.5m people population

  • Two hours to an international port with access to world markets

  • Dual lane highway

  • Water availability & smart water applications

Our Request

  • Water security into the future

  • Greater irrigation water availability for agriculture

  • Partner with us

  • Assist us with commissioning an economic study of the highest and best use of the water for now and in to the future

The cost of doing nothing vs what could be..

  • Over 1,000 possible new jobs

  • A thriving Gippsland where people have job opportunities

  • Two hours to Melbourne with c.5m people population

  • Two hours to an international port with access to world markets

  • Dual lane highway

  • Water availability & smart water applications

Thank you to our partners

Thank you to our partners