Australias Latrobe Valley: Coordinating Private Companies to Redeploy Power Plant Workers

The document details the response to the 2017 closure of the 1.6 GW coal-fired Hazelwood Power Station, which resulted in a net loss of approximately 500 jobs. It highlights a multi-sectoral approach involving federal and state funding, the creation of the Latrobe Valley Authority, and the innovative Latrobe Valley Worker Transfer Partnership Scheme, which redeployed younger workers to other power plants by offering early retirement to older employees. By November 2019, 74% of former Hazelwood employees were re-employed or retired.

• The closure of the Hazelwood Power Station, announced by ENGIE in November 2016 and executed in March 2017, led to a net loss of approximately 500 jobs, as 250 of the 750 total staff remained for decommissioning and rehabilitation.
• The Victorian government provided a record regional assistance package of A$266 million, which included A$22 million for immediate worker assistance—such as the Worker Transition Center and the Latrobe Valley Authority—and A$224 million for long-term economic growth and infrastructure.
• To address job losses, the Victorian government coordinated the Latrobe Valley Worker Transfer Partnership Scheme, a first-of-its-kind effort to align multiple private power station operators to redeploy younger Hazelwood workers into positions vacated by older workers taking early retirement.
• By November 2019, the transition efforts showed positive results, with 74% of former Hazelwood employees either re-employed or retired, and 90 workers specifically finding ongoing employment through the Worker Transfer Scheme.
• A significant challenge identified is the long-term sustainability of the transition, as the Worker Transfer Scheme relied on moving employees to other coal-fired plants that are also expected to close over the next 20 years.

APA

World Resources Institute (2021). Australias Latrobe Valley: Coordinating Private Companies to Redeploy Power Plant Workers. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/australias-latrobe-valley-coordinating-private-companies-redeploy-power-plant-workers

Chicago

World Resources Institute. Australias Latrobe Valley: Coordinating Private Companies to Redeploy Power Plant Workers. 2021. https://www.wri.org/snapshots/australias-latrobe-valley-coordinating-private-companies-redeploy-power-plant-workers.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |author=World Resources Institute |title=Australias Latrobe Valley: Coordinating Private Companies to Redeploy Power Plant Workers |date=1 April 2021 |url=https://www.wri.org/snapshots/australias-latrobe-valley-coordinating-private-companies-redeploy-power-plant-workers |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{worldresourcesinstitute2021australias, author = {{World Resources Institute}}, title = {{Australias Latrobe Valley: Coordinating Private Companies to Redeploy Power Plant Workers}}, institution = {World Resources Institute}, year = {2021}, month = apr, url = {https://www.wri.org/snapshots/australias-latrobe-valley-coordinating-private-companies-redeploy-power-plant-workers}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }