A photo essay captures the slow ending of the coal industry in Victoria's Latrobe Valley, once one of Australia's richest regions. The two power stations still running, Yallourn and Loy Yang, are set to close in 2028 and 2035 because they are old, as the country shifts to renewable energy. The pictures show old mines, tunnels, and the workers and towns that depended on coal.
🔍 The Backstory
In the 1980s about a third of the valley's jobs came from coal. When the state industry was sold to privates in the 1990s, around half of those workers lost their roles. Many towns still struggle. One major plant, Hazelwood, closed in 2017 and is being cleaned up. The industry has hurt health too: a big mine fire in 2014 was called Victoria's worst air disaster, and locals near the mines are said to die earlier than the state average.
🎯 Why It Matters
Coal is ending, so the valley loses jobs. Its future shows whether these towns can recover and find new work.
A photo essay captures the slow ending of the coal industry in Victoria's Latrobe Valley, once one of Australia's richest regions. The two power stations still running, Yallourn and Loy Yang, are set to close in 2028 and 2035 because they are old, as the country shifts to renewable energy. The pictures show old mines, tunnels, and the workers and towns that depended on coal.
In the 1980s about a third of the valley's jobs came from coal. When the state industry was sold to privates in the 1990s, around half of those workers lost their roles. Many towns still struggle. One major plant, Hazelwood, closed in 2017 and is being cleaned up. The industry has hurt health too: a big mine fire in 2014 was called Victoria's worst air disaster, and locals near the mines are said to die earlier than the state average.
Coal is ending, so the valley loses jobs. Its future shows whether these towns can recover and find new work.