Latrobe River earmarked as water source in plan to turn coal mines into lakes.

Combined, the three open-cut coal mines in Victoria's Latrobe Valley are more than four times the size of Sydney Harbour.

The Hazelwood open-cut mine would
 take 15 to 20 years to fill with water.

The State Government is assessing whether they will all be turned into lakes when they close, which is due to occur by the middle of the century.

Late last year, the Government released a report that outlined plans to fill the mines with water drawn from the Latrobe River system, which runs through the region and connects to the Gippsland Lakes.

The three mines have a water allocation from the Latrobe system and the Government is planning on using that water to fill them when they close.

Read the ABC News story by Jarrod Whittaker - “Latrobe River earmarked as water source in plan to turn coal mines into lakes.”