With summer only weeks away, a range of resources and support is being made available to help coal mine operators reduce the chances of fire at their sites.
Resources Victoria is working closely with coal mines and Fire Rescue Victoria to ensure each operator is prepared for hotter, drier conditions. The agencies are focusing on strengthening day-to-day prevention measures, tightening fire-risk planning and confirming response arrangements ahead of the season.
Inspectors from Resources Victoria are conducting regular checks across all sites to verify that safeguards are in place and that operators have finalised the planning needed for elevated fire-risk periods.
Fire risk management plans are mandatory for the mines and serve as the foundation for their preparedness efforts. They detail how operators manage ignition risks during routine operations and set out the steps required to increase vigilance on extreme fire danger days. Alongside this, emergency management plans specify staffing levels, equipment availability and other operational measures to support timely detection and response should a fire occur.
The push for preparedness comes as the national Seasonal Bushfire Outlook for Spring 2025 points to increased fire risk across south-west Gippsland in the state, adding urgency to pre-summer planning in the region.
Executive director regulatory operations Laura Helm said mine operators have been working to ensure their sites are ready for the season.
“Each coal mine has a fire management plan and it’s important that these sites do everything required to reduce the risk of fire each and every day,” Helm said.
“The coal mine operators have been planning for summer, and we’ll continue inspecting and auditing the sites to ensure they are prepared, and the necessary response crews and equipment are in place.”
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