Latrobe Valley
Victorian Brown Coal & Power
Overview
The Latrobe Valley in Eastern Victoria has powered the State for nearly a Century. Enormous Open-Cut Brown-Coal Mines at Yallourn, Hazelwood and Loy Yang have fed the adjacent Power Stations that historically supplied around 70 percent of Victoria's Electricity. Hazelwood Power Station and Mine closed in 2017. Yallourn is scheduled to close by mid-2028. Loy Yang A is scheduled to retire by 2035 under AGL's Updated Plan. What this means for Mining Employment is complex — and often misunderstood. The Latrobe Valley today is a Region in Transition rather than a Region in Decline. Alongside the Ongoing Operations at Yallourn, Loy Yang A and Loy Yang B, there is a Multi-Billion-Dollar Rehabilitation Program under way to Backfill and Rewater the retired Open-Cut Pits, plus Major New Energy Projects — Star of the South Offshore Wind, Marinus Link, Battery Storage, Hydrogen Trials — being sited specifically in the Region to Absorb the Skilled Workforce. Mining and Adjacent Employment Includes Dragline Operators, Bucket-Wheel Excavator Operators, Boilermakers, Heavy Diesel Mechanics, HV Electricians and Instrument Technicians. Wages are lower than the Pilbara or Bowen Basin — Victorian Coal is a Domestic-Only Product with No Export Premium — but the Lifestyle is unbeatable: 90 Minutes from Melbourne, low Cost of Living, No Camp Life and access to some of the best Alpine, Coastal and Wilderness Country in Australia. The Latrobe Valley is a Long Play for the Right Person: build a Career on Existing Operations, then Ride the Transition Wave into Rehabilitation, Wind, Hydrogen or Grid Infrastructure.
- • Morwell
- • Traralgon
- • Moe
- • Churchill
- • Sale
- • AGL Loy Yang
- • EnergyAustralia Yallourn
- • Alinta Energy (Loy Yang B)
- • ENGIE (former Hazelwood)
- • Ventia
- • Downer
- • UGL
- • Brown Coal (Lignite)
- • Power Generation
- • Rehabilitation
Geology & Resources
The Latrobe Valley sits on the Gippsland Basin, containing one of the World's Largest Brown-Coal (lignite) Resources. Brown Coal is Younger, Wetter and Lower in Energy Density than Black Coal, which is why it is only Economical to Mine at Scale for Adjacent Power Generation rather than for Export. The seams here are Extremely Thick — up to 100m in single continuous beds — which is why Bucket-Wheel Excavators and Draglines rather than conventional trucks-and-shovels dominate the earth-moving Fleet.
Who's Hiring — Major Employers
AGL Loy Yang, EnergyAustralia (Yallourn), Alinta Energy (Loy Yang B) and the Legacy ENGIE Rehabilitation Program are the Primary Employers. Ventia, Downer, UGL, Zinfra and Ausenco run the majority of the Contractor and Rehabilitation Workforce. Star of the South (Offshore Wind) and Marinus Link (HVDC Interconnector) are building out their Regional Workforces from 2025 onward.
Lifestyle, Rosters & Living
Traralgon, Morwell and Moe are Small Regional Cities with Full Facilities — Hospitals, Schools, TAFE, Woolworths, Coles, Kmart, sport clubs. Housing is one of the cheapest in South-East Australia — a Family Home for $450,000. Melbourne is a 90-Minute Drive or Train Ride. The Alpine National Park, Wilsons Promontory and the Ninety Mile Beach are all within Weekend Reach. Weather is Genuinely Four-Seasoned — cool wet winters, warm dry summers — with no cyclones or extreme heat.
How to Get Hired Here
Because the Region is Coal-and-Power Combined, the fastest Entry Point is through an Apprenticeship with one of the Power Generators, or through a Contractor role with Ventia, Downer or UGL on the Rehabilitation and Maintenance Programs. Standard 11 is not directly required in Victoria — the Coal Mining Safety and Health regime uses the Victorian Framework — but the equivalent Site Induction, an Electrical or Mechanical Trade and a Manual Licence are all essential. Green candidates should target the Rehabilitation Programs as they are actively growing.
Long-Term Outlook
This is a Managed-Decline story for Coal Mining specifically, but a Growth story for Rehabilitation, Grid Infrastructure and Renewable-Energy Construction Employment. The 2035 Loy Yang A closure will trigger a decade-long Rehabilitation and Redevelopment Program employing thousands. Skilled workers who upskill into HV, Battery and Hydrogen Roles will find continuous work.