About the applications
Southern Rural Water (SRW) recently sought community feedback on two groundwater licence renewals linked to the Hazelwood (ENGIE) and Yallourn (EnergyAustralia) mines in the Latrobe Valley. The proposals were framed as short-term safety measures to depressurisation and de-watering to keep mine voids stable and not approvals to fill pits or create lakes, nor long-term rehabilitation plans.
During the process, ENGIE sought a five-year extension of its existing Hazelwood licence, maintaining a take-and-use volume of 20,480 ML per year, supported by a report from GHD. EnergyAustralia sought a 15-year extension covering the remainder of the Yallourn mine’s operating life (closure planned for 2028), proposing up to 1,580 ML (since adjusted to 1,650ML) per year, also supported by GHD. The current licences are due to expire on 31 August 2025, and the renewal applications were lodged in April and June 2025, close to that date.
SRW’s assessment was confined to Section 40 of the Water Act 1989, including the availability and quality of water, potential adverse effects on other users, environmental protection, relevant government policies, and the stated purpose of use.
Our response
CWA welcomed the opportunity to engage and was able to prepare an informed submission on EnergyAustralia’s application, thanks to the material provided. However, we were unable to lodge a formal submission on ENGIE’s application. The Hazelwood material did not identify or discuss groundwater-dependent ecosystems (GDEs) and provided no mapping or survey data to assess whether extraction from the Latrobe Group Aquifers could affect wetlands, floodplain vegetation, or river baseflows. Given the long-term aquifer depressurisation documented across the Latrobe Valley, this absence meant the public could not make a fully informed submission. This is contrary, in our view, to the principles of the Water Act and best-practice environmental governance. We advised that further information on GDEs was necessary before the CWA could respond substantively to ENGIE’s proposal.
We also reflected on aspects of process in a covering letter to SRW. Because the applications arrived so close to licence expiry, the window for SRW’s assessment and public scrutiny was compressed, giving the impression that renewal might be treated as a formality. In addition, SRW did not publicly exhibit the full licence applications, which limited the community’s capacity to engage. While we acknowledge receipt of the full applications late in the process, and appreciate SRW’s broader efforts to improve transparency, this felt like a backward step.
With submissions now closed, CWA has urged that future processes publish full application materials, allow adequate time for community review, and explicitly address environmental considerations of Section 40 of the Water Act, including impacts on connected surface–groundwater systems and GDEs. We, along with other member groups, will continue to advocate for transparent, science-based decisions that safeguard the Latrobe’s rivers, wetlands, and aquifers.