The operator of a Victorian power station has been found guilty of putting its employees and nearby communities at risk because it failed to prepare for a bushfire that spread to a nearby mine and burned for 45 days.
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A Supreme Court jury on Wednesday found the operator of the Latrobe Valley's Hazelwood Power Station guilty of 10 of 12 charges relating to the 2014 fire inside a worked-out coal mine, which burned for weeks blanketing the town of Morwell in smoke.
The jurors found the Hazelwood Power Corporation did not do an adequate risk assessment, did not have an adequate reticulated water system, failed to slash vegetation around the mine and did not take action enough to wet down areas around the mine before the fire took hold.
The jurors also found there weren't enough workers on-site with the expertise to fight the fire.
The operator was cleared, however, of two charges relating to its failure to install generators or an alternative power source to operate the fire water system.
It can also be revealed four companies that operated the Hazelwood Power Station were found guilty earlier this year of pollution offences resulting from the mine fire.
In July this year, another jury found Hazelwood Pacific Pty Ltd, Australian Power Partners B.V., Hazelwood Churchill Pty Ltd and National Power Australia Investments Ltd guilty of three charges brought by the Environmental Protection Agency,
That trial was suppressed until the outcome of this second trial.
"These companies did not light the fire, but have now been found to have been responsible for the pollution which came from it, which the court heard had an impact upon the community," EPA Victoria boss Cathy Wilkinson said in a statement on Wednesday.
"We're pleased that the companies involved have been held responsible for the pollution that came from this fire."
WorkSafe's Marnie Williams said the fire had a devastating impact on the many workers and emergency personnel who fought the blaze, as well as thousands of nearby residents.
"We welcome the jury's finding today that the company should have been much better prepared for the risk of fire, especially considering previous fires at the mine and the extreme weather conditions forecast that weekend," she said.
"This verdict sends a clear warning to all employers that WorkSafe can, and will, prosecute them if they fail to put the safety of not only their workers, but also the community, first."
Environmental Justice Australia said it was a great result but stronger regulatory oversight was needed to prevent this kind of disaster happening again.
Victorian Greens MP Ellen Sandell said the state's largely foreign-owned coal plants "have little regard for the health of the community or the environment" and they needed to be phased out.
Australian Associated Press
