Friends of the Earth (FoE) Melbourne  is a non-for profit organisation working for a socially equitable and environmentally sustainable future. The international Friends of the Earth network is  active in 77 countries with over 2 million members. Read more.

Locals from Mirboo North and surrounds were ecstatic to hear that mining company Mantle Mining walked away from their coal mining licence renewals last week. Six brown coal mining exploration licences in South Gippsland and the Latrobe Valley were cancelled.

“Communities in these licence areas have been very vocal over the past 5 years about the impact new green fields coal mining would have on their region. The potential for water contamination, destruction of prime agricultural farmland and the human health impacts have weighed heavily on a lot of people. There was no social licence or need for new coal mining in this area and it’s fantastic that this area no longer has to fight these mining interests. Agriculture and tourism will also benefit from this certainty so it’s a win for everyone” said Friends of the Earth Community Campaigner Ursula Alquier.

This year, the impacts of climate change have been felt like never before - with extreme storms, widespread bleaching of the Reef and rising sea levels - and still our Government has no plan to act on climate change. We are lagging behind the rest of the world.

We need a national coal closure plan to get us off fossil fuels and on to clean energy. We need to provide communities and workers with the certainty they deserve to prepare for a future beyond coal. The Senate is inquiring into exactly this issue; we need to show them that Australians support government action to retire coal power stations and support impacted communities.

October was another busy month for us with lots going on - and even more coming up!

In November we will be holding our Annual General Meeting. All of our members are welcome to come along and be part of this important decision making meeting. There will be snacks and drinks provided and the evening is a good chance to get to know who is who in the FoE office and campaigns. If you are not already a member you can join here and then RSVP for the AGM here. We hope to see you there!

Latrobe Valley, home to Victoria’s four coal-based power stations, is currently undergoing an economic transition.

In the Valley the coal industry has a turbulent history, with the industry’s privatisation in the 80’s and 90’s gutting the local economy, and the Hazelwood mine fire in 2014 causing deaths in the community from the toxic smoke. However the mines and power stations also provide crucial employment and income for the area.

The Andrews state government is coming up to its two year anniversary. That means they're halfway through this term of Parliament, with two years left before the next election.

Premier Andrews came to power with a promise to make Victoria a leader on climate change and the environment. They've definitely started on this journey - they're saying the right things, and have made some welcome decisions so far.

Since winning the election in 2014, the Andrews government has announced a permanent ban on unconventional gas, started protecting rivers from damage by cows, committed Victoria to net zero greenhouse emissions by 2050, removed 99 year leases from national parks, set strong targets for renewable energy, amongst other things.

But some big ticket items remain. What will happen to Hazelwood, the world's dirtiest power station? Will the Great Forest National Park finally be created? These and other questions still need answers.

The last two years has seen the government of Daniel Andrews invest considerable funds into environmental action.

This funding has supported a modest set of environmental and climate policies. There have also been some very welcome policy announcements, including the permanent ban on onshore unconventional gas drilling and the Victorian Renewable Energy Target (VRET). While forward movement has to be welcomed, we are all aware that the next big task will be to start the phaseout of coal fired power stations.