Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry - Progress Report 2022 | Inspector-General for Emergency Management Victoria

All hazards

Risks spanning across multiple hazard types and across the emergency management system.

Biosecurity

Exotic animal and plant disease outbreaks and pest incursions can have significant economic, community and environmental impacts.

Bushfire and other fires

Bushfire and other fires have potential consequences including loss of life and property, and damage to infrastructure and environment.

Climate change

Risks include more days of extreme heat, harsher fire weather, less rainfall and rising sea levels.

Communications disruption

Communications services are crucial in keeping communities safe, connected and informed before, during and after emergencies.

Cyber security and ICT systems failure

Risks relating to the confidentiality, availability, integrity of information and data and disruption of services.

Energy supply disruption

Reliable energy supplies are critical to many social and economic activities.

Flood

Major flood events have occurred in Victoria every 10 to 20 years, with much of the increasing risk created by human settlement.

Hazardous material incident

Potential risks relate to many places where Victoria’s hazardous materials are manufactured, stored, transported, used and disposed.

Heatwave

Heatwaves are considered to be the ‘silent killer’ of extreme weather events and are the leading cause of weather-related deaths in Australia.

Public health emergency

Risks may relate to the delivery of public health services, with impacts on community health and wellbeing and potential for loss of life.

Supply chain disruption

Geopolitical, environmental, economic, societal and infrastructure-related shocks can expose supply chains to wide ranging consequences.

Terrorism and extremism

Attacks carried out by individuals or non-state groups with ideological, political or religious goals can result in loss of life, severe injury and/or material damage.

Water supply disruption

Risks include collection, storage, treatment, delivery, availability and allocation of water for consumption and environmental, recreation and cultural uses.

Workforce and resourcing

Risks may relate to human resource supply and skills to support emergency management operations.

This is the final Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry progress report, concluding the Inspector-General for Emergency Management's responsibility to monitor the progress of the implementation of recommendations and affirmations from the 2014 and 2015–16 Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry reports (External link).

It summarises implementation progress (to July 2022) of the five Victorian Government actions and one recommendation directed to the Latrobe Valley coal mine operators that were reported as in progress in IGEM’s Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry: Implementation of recommendations and affirmations – Progress Report 2021.

Program of reform

Since the commencement of the reform program, significant progress has been achieved to improve emergency management planning and coordination, health outcomes, and mine regulation and rehabilitation in the Latrobe Valley.

In summary all:

246 actions set out in the Victorian Government Implementation Plan are now either closed or complete
14 recommendations and affirmations directed to health agencies are complete
26 recommendations and affirmations directed to coal mine operators are either closed or complete.

Conclusion of Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry monitoring

The completion of these reforms is a significant milestone and a commendable achievement for both the organisations responsible for their implementation, and for the Latrobe Valley community.

Many implemented improvements are system-wide and cater for all emergencies, benefitting all Victorians. Highlights from IGEM's time as implementation monitor include:

improvements to public communication and warnings – including the development of the VicEmergency app
enhanced smoke plume modelling and air quality monitoring – including the Latrobe Valley Air Monitoring network co-designed by the Environment Protection Authority Victoria and the Latrobe Valley community
the establishment of the Latrobe Health Assembly and a series of initiatives to improve the health outcomes of the Latrobe Valley community
significant increases to rehabilitation bonds ensuring that the cost of mine rehabilitation in the Latrobe Valley would be borne by the coal mine operators.

IGEM commends all stakeholders for implementing this broad-ranging program of reforms.

You can access the report from the link below or view as a flipbook (External link).

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