This submission to the Inquiry covers Terms of Reference 8, 9 and 10.
The key points covered are:
- Rehabilitation bonds for the Latrobe Valley coal mines are inadequate and need to be urgently increased to match the full cost of rehabilitation works.
- The current approach to mine rehabilitation in Victoria fails to establish clear criteria by which to measure the success of rehabilitation works, making it difficult to enforce and reducing the ability to hold mine operators accountable to the high standards expected by the community.
- Decisions about long term rehabilitation options must involve the Latrobe Valley community as the critical stakeholder. Beneficial future land uses of the mines is an enormous opportunity, and is a key part of the Latrobe Valley’s future prosperity.
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