An expert advisory group has warned of safety dangers at at least seven brown coal mines in the Latrobe Valley.

A report released as part of investigations into the collapse of a diversion which flooded the Yallourn mine last year, has warned the government’s Technical Review Board on mine stability concurs on concerns about mine sites in the area.

The TWB’s letter to the Minister is available here.

The Victorian government says $4.2 million has been committed to mine stability in its latest budget, the Morwell River diversion is still under repairs at a cost of around $150 million to the mine’s owner.

The diversion was approved in 2005, theoretically so that the mine could be expanded for access to coal to last till 2032. The investigation into the collapse found that there were a number of technical issues throughout design and construction that were likely the cause.