Resources Victoria is working with coal miner operators in the Latrobe Valley within the Gippsland region and Fire Rescue Victoria to reduce the risks of fires in the 2025-26 summer season.
Coal mines are often inspected by Resources Victoria to ensure safeguards are in place, fire risk planning is finalised, and response preparations are completed.
These plans ensure mines are able to escalate readiness levels on high fire risk days.
As reported in AFAC’s Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Spring 2025, areas in the Gippsland regions of Victoria are identified for heightened risk of fire, specifically in the south, southwest, and central areas of the region.
Resources Victoria Executive Director of Regulatory Operations Laura Helm says each of the three coal mines in the Latrobe Valley is prepared for the upcoming season with a fire management plan.
“It’s important that these sites do everything required to reduce the risk of fire each and every day,” Helm says.
“The coal mine operators have been planning for summer, and we’ll continue inspecting and auditing the sites to ensure they are prepared, and the necessary response crews and equipment are in place.”
CSIRO claims the risk of fire and explosions at coal mines are a “significant” safety concern given the mixture of gas, energy, and oxygen present in the underground operations.
A major fire suspended production at Anglo American’s (LSE:AAL) Grosvenor steelmaking coal mine in Queensland in June 2024, following an underground “gas ignition” incident, as reported by Mining.com.au.
Leaving around 1,400 jobs up in the air, the mine has still not reopened for production. Anglo American is in its final stages of preparation to re-enter the mine.
Write to Maddison Elliott at Mining.com.au
Images: Unsplash
