Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry - Annual Report 2017

The Inspector-General for Emergency Management (IGEM) provides independent monitoring and public reporting on the progress of Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry: Victorian Government Implementation Plan (Victorian Government Implementation Plan).

This is IGEM's second annual report on the progress of implementation of recommendations and affirmations from the 2014 and 2015–16 Hazelwood mine fire inquiries.

Overall, IGEM considers that significant progress has been achieved to improve emergency planning and coordination, health outcomes and mine rehabilitation in the Latrobe Valley following the Hazelwood mine fire.

One hundred and eighty-seven of the 246 actions set out in the Victorian Government Implementation Plan have now been completed, with key areas of progress across state and local government, community and industry, including:

• increased investment in health services and programs for the Latrobe Valley region
   
• the formation of the Latrobe Health Assembly and appointment of the Latrobe Valley Mine Rehabilitation Commissioner

• improved information for decision makers before, during and after emergencies, including air-quality monitoring and predictive data on smoke and fires

• support for the rehabilitation of mine sites in the Latrobe Valley, through significant increases in rehabilitation bonds and introduction of progressive rehabilitation milestones for coal-mine operators.

The Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry – Annual Report 2017 was tabled in Parliament on 14 December 2017.