Loy Yang Power is located in the Latrobe Valley near Traralgon (population approximately 20,000), 165 kilometres east of Melbourne. Other nearby major towns include Morwell (population 17,000) and Moe (population 17,000). The main industries of the valley include power generation, forestry (timber and paper production), dairying/grazing and tourism.
The Latrobe Valley is situated within 1.5 hours from the snowfields (Mt Baw Baw or Mt Saint Gwinear), the sea (Inverloch, South Gippsland coastline) and the Gippsland Lakes, which is Australia's largest inland lakes system. Closer to the Valley are the Strezlecki Ranges and the Great Dividing Range.
The Latrobe Valley community is one of the most multi-cultural in Australia. Just after the Second World War many people arrived from Europe and other countries to work in the rapidly developing power and paper industries.
Gippsland Tourism gives further information about the district.
Loy Yang Power owns more than 6000 hectares (ha) of land. Of this, about 1500 ha are used for the mine and about 150 ha for the power station, and the rest is leased for private use - mostly as pasture for stock grazing, as well as some for forestry and a small amount for wildlife habitat.
Loy Yang Power supplies coal to some of its smaller customers (such as briquette manufacturers) by truck. However, most of the mined coal travels by conveyor belts to the power stations (including 'Loy Yang B' power station as it is called, which is owned by another company, Edison Mission). Both power stations are situated next to the mine to minimise transport distance and therefore costs.
This map of the Loy Yang site shows where the important parts of the mining operation are located. You can refer back to this map as you read about the various aspects of the mine.
The nearest stream to Loy Yang Power is Traralgon Creek which rises in the Strezlecki Ranges to the south, flows just west of Loy Yang Power, through Traralgon, finally joining the Latrobe River to the north of the town. Traralgon Creek drains a catchment of approximately 190 square kilometres. Its natural flow is highly variable; it often ceases flowing during drought conditions.
Traralgon Creek provides a home to the southern pygmy perch, blackfish, eels, freshwater crayfish and a range of insects such as mayflies and stoneflies.
Local land animals include many different types of birds, mammals (including echidnas, wombats, antechinus, possums, koalas, platypus, wallabies and bats), reptiles (mostly turtles, skinks, lizards and snakes) and frogs.
The vegetation of the area around Loy Yang Power before European settlement included closed forest in the foothills, open woodland (gum trees and grasses) in the lower plains, and various gums and wattles in the river flats near Traralgon Creek. Unfortunately, much of this flora has now gone as a result of land use. Much of the foothills is now used for forestry (a mix of native hardwood trees and exotic pines) and the lower plains have been cleared for pasture.
The lower plains and sections along the banks of Traralgon Creek are choked with willows, blackberries, thistle and other noxious weeds. Much of the creek bank has also been degraded due to farming and stock access.
Traralgon Creek
The Latrobe Valley is a basin surrounded by hills, and sits about 50 - 100 metres above sea level. The warmest month is February with an average temperature range of 12.5 degrees C to 26.4 degrees C. The coldest month is July with an average temperature range of 3.6 degrees C to 13.5 degrees C. There are occasional frosts, and sometimes snow falls on the neighbouring hills.
Average yearly rainfall on site at Loy Yang Power is about 800 mm. It is usually very dry in summer and early autumn, and wettest in late winter and spring. Very sudden river rises can occasionally occur. (For example, the Traralgon Creek can change within a matter of hours from a small flow to a torrent capable of flooding the local Traralgon football ground and surrounding houses in that flood zone!)
Climatic data from Latrobe Valley Airport, not far from Traralgon.
The most common winds are from the south-west, although in summer easterly winds are also experienced.
More information on climate is available from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.
