THE Victorian Department of Primary Industries (DPI) has completed an inquiry into the Yallourn Mine collapse which washed away road and rail lines east of Melbourne in November 2007.
The collapse allowed the Latrobe River to flow directly in to the Yallourn Coal mine, which caused substantial damage to the mine conveyor systems and facilities. While no one was injured in the collapse, the DPI says the incident posed a “serious risk” to safety.
A government-appointed mining warden has completed an inquiry into the incident, which found the failure occurred because of water pressures in the interseam clays underlying the coal.
Investigations found there was a ‘failure of the geotechnical management system at all levels’ and indication signs were ‘not recognised or interpreted correctly by technical
advisers and reviewers’.
The DPI Minerals and Petroleum Regulation is urging mine operators to complete risk assessments and ensure control measures are in place to prevent similar accidents from occurring in the future.
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