Jesse Thompson's photographic project documents the terminal decline of Latrobe Valley's coal industry, once the economic lifeblood of the region. The project aims to capture this period of rapid change and examine the legacy being left behind.
From prosperity to uncertainty
The Latrobe Valley was one of the most economically prosperous regions in Australia for much of the last century but now faces economic uncertainty. Just under a third of the valley's labour force worked in the coal industry in the 1980s. About half of that workforce was laid off when the previously state-owned industry was privatised by the Kennett government in the 1990s. The mines and power stations stayed open, but the valley's economic fortunes declined.
A worker drives past Yallourn power station, where coalmining operations started more than 100 years ago and are scheduled to end in 2028. A control panel lies abandoned in the Morwell power station, which ceased operations in 2014.
Closures and health impacts
One major power plant, Hazelwood, closed in 2017 and is now being rehabilitated. Two remaining plants, Yallourn and Loy Yang, are scheduled to cease operations in 2028 and 2035, respectively, due to age and as the country increasingly switches to renewable energy. Unemployment rates in the valley remain well above the state average.
Public health advocate Wendy Farmer, near her home in Newborough, lost her grandfather, father and brother to illnesses related to the coal-fired power stations and mines that lie immediately proximate to her home. A giant mine fire in 2014 was described by Environment Victoria as 'the worst air pollution disaster in Victoria's history'. Poor air quality and the proximity of the mines to population centres has contributed to valley residents dying four years younger than the state average.
Economic challenges and community fears
Some locals welcome the end of the coal era, but many live with the ongoing consequences of public health failings. Some local businesses and workers rely on servicing the coal industry and are fearful of what will happen when the mines close. Signs from the decommissioned Hazelwood coalmine stand discarded outside the pit.
Mine workers anxiously await an announcement at a union meeting in Moe. Many agree that Australia needs to shift away from coal-fired power but feel frustrated at what they see as a lack of sufficient planning for the valley's future. For coal workers, it's about where they will find work and whether they will have to move away. For business owners that service the coal industry and its workers, it's about whether they will be able to stay open after the mine closure.
Documenting a changing landscape
The Coal Miners Take Away shop in Yallourn North sits closed and vacant. Sprinklers spray the ground at the Hazelwood coalmine to reduce fire risk and contain coal dust. The remains of an ancient tree, likely more than 30m years old, are unearthed in the Yallourn coalmine.
The valley is not as economically reliant on the coal industry as it once was, but it remains important, and a mainstay of everyday life. Thompson's project aims to document this period of rapid change in the valley and to examine the legacy that the coal industry is leaving behind.
