Response to Hazelwood switching off at 5pm today

The last unit at Hazelwood power station was switched off moments ago.

In response, Environment Victoria CEO Mark Wakeham said:

“Today a chapter is ending for Australia’s most controversial and polluting power station. From today there will be less climate pollution in Australia and cleaner air in the Latrobe Valley.

“A single facility responsible for 16 million tonnes of carbon dioxide every year has now closed, improving our chances of preventing runaway global warming.

“But the story is not finished. There will be many years of work on site to rehabilitate the mine and decommission the power station. There is unfinished business in supporting the Latrobe Valley through this transition and diversifying its economy ahead of future coal power station retirements.

“We need to get better at closing old and polluting power stations. We urgently need a national plan for the orderly replacement of Australia’s 20 remaining coal-burning power stations with renewable energy, and to support affected communities and workers through this transition.

“It’s only a matter of time before other outdated power stations in the region like Yallourn are also retired – denying this only delays the planning that needs to happen. We need to view the closure of Hazelwood as the point of no return in the transition from coal to clean energy, and build a strong, diverse regional economy that is not dependent on coal.”