Morwell River diversion for the expansion of the Yallourn mine

In 1999 TruEnergy called for tenders for the diversion of the Morwell River to enable access to the new coal reserves in the Maryvale Field to enable the continued operation of the Yallourn Power station. The East Field, which had ben supplying coal to the power station since approximately 1990, was due to be depleted by 2007.

2012: Morwell River floods mine
On Tuesday June 5, 2012 heavy rainfall in the Gippsland region resulted in water from the adjoining Morwell River flooding into a tunnel housing a conveyor belt. The Latrobe Valley Express reported that "an exclusion zone was created around the leak site" and that "after initial inspections and ongoing monitoring of river and leakage levels, restricted mine operations resumed this afternoon."

The following day TruEnergy reported that "in the early hours of this morning, the TRUenergy Yallourn coal mine experienced significant water leakage into one of the coal conveyor tunnels under the Morwell River diversion. This follows a period of heavy rain. The water is leaking into the open cut and has stopped operations on three conveyors that transport coal to the Yallourn Power Station."

While TruEnergy initially described the problem with the river as "leakage" the following day TruEnergy described the problem as being the "collapse of a section of the Morwell River Diversion which allowed water into the mine." As a result of the water flooding in, all four conveyor belts were out of action and the company desperately sought to organise a fleet of trucks to carry coal to the power station. At the time of the flood one of the power stations four generating units was undergoing maintenance and, the company stated two were on 'standby' and one operating. On the Wednesday TruEnergy stated that the one operating unit was operating "at a reduced capacity".

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Researching coal in Victoria
 * Victoria and coal


 * Australia and coal
 * Carbon Capture and Storage
 * Carbon Capture and Storage in Australia
 * New South Wales and coal
 * Queensland and coal

External resources

 * Howard Spark & Laurice Temple, "Morwell River Diversion', Roche Thiess Linfox (RTL), May 2006.
 * Howard Spark & Laurice Temple, "Morwell River Diversion", Roche Theiss Linfox Submission for Australian Construction Achivement Award, May 2006.
 * SMEC, "Morwell River diversion", SMEC website, accessed June 2012.
 * Theiss, "Morwell River Diversion Aqueduct", Theiss website, accessed June 2012.

TruEenergy documents

 * Woodward Clyde, "Executive Summary: Brief Description of the Proposal, Truenergy,
 * TruEnergy, "TRUenergy Yallourn Morwell River Diversion", Truenergy, September 2005.

TruEenergy media releases

 * TruEnergy, "TRUenergy Yallourn Morwell River Diversion", Truenergy, September 2005.
 * TruEnergy, "Morwell River Diversion Brings Significant Benefits", Media Release, September 20, 2005.
 * TruEnergy, "Morwell River project wins Victorian engineering award", Media Release, October 14, 2005.
 * TruEnergy, "Morwell River Diversion Brings Significant Benefits", Media Release, September 20, 2005.
 * TruEnergy, "Water leakage reduces coal supplies at Yallourn mine", Media release, June 6, 2012.
 * TruEnergy, "Update on Yallourn mine", Media Release, June 7, 2012.
 * TruEnergy, "Yallourn Mine Update", Media Release, June 15, 2012.
 * TruEnergy, "Yallourn Mine Update", Media Release, June 22, 2012.

Vic Government media release on the opening of the diversion

 * John Brumby, "Morwell River Diversion ensures Yallourn Power Supply for next 30 years", Media Release, September 20, 2005

Media articles in 2005 on the opening of the river diversion

 * Renee Kurowski, "Moving mountains to give river a new lease of life", Latrobe Valley Express, September 22, 2005.

2012 Levee collapse

 * Australian Energy Market Operator, "Victorian Electricity Supply Update", Media Release, June 6, 2012.
 * Louis Nelson, "Water leak worsens", Latrobe Valley Express, June 6, 2012.
 * Pia Akerman and John Ferguson, "Flooded Yallourn coalmine seeks alternative fuel", The Australian, June 06, 2012.
 * Megan Levy, "Floodwaters pour into coal mine but power supplies safe: minister", The Guardian' (Swan Hill and Riverina), June 6, 2012.
 * Erin Michael and Ashley Gardiner, "High tide combines with flood threatening 400 homes as Yallourn Power Station at reduced supply", Herald Sun, June 06, 2012.
 * Australian Energy Market Operator,, "Victorian Electricity Supply Update", Media Release, June 7, 2012.
 * "TRUenergy Yallourn Power Output Remains Constrained by Flood Damage", Fox News, June 06, 2012.
 * "Yallourn open cut mine transforms into 'Lake Yallourn'", ABC News, June 7, 2012.
 * "Interview: John Parker, Secretary of Gippsland Trades and Labour Council, on Yallourn open cut flooding", ABC News, June 7, 2012. (Link to audio file).
 * John Ferguson and Pia Akerman, "Power at risk as flood hits coal supply", The Australian, June 07, 2012.
 * Tom Arup, "Power supply safe despite flooding, says Baillieu", The Age, June 7, 2012.
 * Ashley Gardiner, "Mine now a muddy great mess", Herald Sun, June 07, 2012.
 * Louis Nelson, "Power supply threat", Latrobe Valley Express, June 7, 2012.
 * "'Catastrophic' collapse", Latrobe Valley Express, June 11, 2012.
 * Louis Nelson, "'Truck and shovel' implemented", Latrobe Valley Express, June 11, 2012.
 * "Future of Yallourn open cut mine is safe, says TRUenergy", ABC News, June 15, 2012.
 * Melody Song, "Progress made on Yallourn", Latrobe Valley Express, June 14, 2012.
 * "Flooded power station to resume", The Age, June 15, 2012.
 * Kath Sullivan, "Fishermen worried about water from Yallourn coal mine", ABC News, June 22, 2012.
 * Lynda McRae, "Flooding continues", Latrobe Valley Express, June 21, 2012.
 * "More flooding at Yallourn", ABC News, June 22, 2012.
 * "Yallourn power station suffers from ongoing flooding", ABC News, June 22, 2012.
 * Reid Sexton, "Flooded power station no threat to power", The Age, June 22, 2012.
 * "No ill-effects from flooded Vic mine: EPA", NineMSN, June 22 2012.
 * Stuart Rintoul, "Floodwaters cripple power station", The Australian, June 23, 2012.
 * Stephen Cauchi, "Yallourn turns to trucks to maintain coal supply", The Age, June 23, 2012.