An environment group has used the one year anniversary of the Hazelwood mine fire, in south-east Victoria, to call for improvements to mine rehabilitation.
Yesterday marked a year since fire broke out at the mine and burned for 45 days, covering Morwell and surrounding towns in acrid smoke and ash, and costing Victorian taxpayers $100 million.
The State Government has promised to reopen the inquiry into the fire to investigate public health and mine rehabilitation.
A spokesman for Environment Victoria, Nicholas Aberle, said mine operators must be forced to rehabilitate exposed coal faces sooner.
"So you know it's good that the Andrews [Government] has committed to reopening the Hazelwood mine fire inquiry, and particularly looking at rehabilitation options, and what we'd be hoping to see out of that inquiry is some very clear recommendations about how to speed up rehabilitation works across coal mines," he said.