Latrobe Valley residents have asked new federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to scrutinise a controversial proposal to flood the enormous Hazelwood coal mine pit to make a lake | perkinsmiki
The Hazelwood pit lake would take up to 25 years to fill and require almost twice the amount of water Melbourne consumes in a year.Latrobe Valley residents have asked new federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek to scrutinise a controversial proposal to flood the enormous Hazelwood coal mine pit to make a lake, citing concerns about future water availability in an era of climate change.
“The water trigger exists because water in this dry continent is precious and vital for life, and lawmakers recognise communities expect careful scrutiny of large mining projects to examine their impact on water,” said Environmental Justice Australia lawyer Chloe Badcock. But it acknowledged that “significant knowledge gaps” existed regarding this rehabilitation approach and recommended further investigation. State government modelling shows that since 1995, stream flows in the Latrobe basin have dropped almost 30 per cent.The EPBC Act requires proponents of large projects to refer them to the minister and advise them which “controlling provisions” apply – those matters the project is likely to have significant impact on.
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