Senior Writer
Hazelwood workers will leave their jobs next year with an average company payout of $330,000, as the Andrews government moves to stave off a jobs crisis in the Latrobe Valley with a $266 million rescue plan.
Hazelwood power station will operate until the end of March next year and then shut down quickly after that, workers have been told.
The truth about Hazelwood is that it was never meant to last this long.
What you need to know about the impending decision to shut Victoria's dirtiest power station.
Victorian's electricity bills are likely to be 4 to 8 per cent higher due the closure of the Hazelwood power station, with some of that increase likely to have already happened.
The Hazelwood power plant has been saddled with multiple repair notices for ageing equipment, amid growing expectations it will close next year.
Premier Daniel Andrews will personally oversee a taskforce to bail out the embattled Latrobe Valley amid mounting expectation of an announcement, possible this week, that the Hazelwood coal plant will shut next year.
Victorian Energy Minister Lily D'Ambrosio has accused her federal counterpart Josh Frydenberg of pulling a political stunt by calling an emergency meeting of ministers in the wake of the South Australian blackout.
Victoria's dirtiest power station will be switched off permanently as early as April next year, with more than 1000 jobs in the Latrobe Valley under threat.
At its heart, Dan Andrews' permanent ban on fracking in Victoria is easy politics - which doesn't mean it's the wrong decision. Added up from a political, economic and environmental perspective, it makes sense.
Search pagination
Save articles for later.
Subscribe for unlimited access to news. Login to save articles.
Return to the homepage by clicking on the site logo.