One Nation vows to keep Loy Yang coal plant running and lift Victoria's nuclear ban

One one outlet used a trip to the Loy Yang A coal station in the Latrobe Valley to unveil its Victorian energy platform ahead of the November state poll. Party head Pauline Hanson and state leader Warren Pickering announced the party would prevent the plant’s planned 2035 closure and repeal Victoria’s 1983 prohibition on constructing nuclear facilities, highlighting possible benefits from thorium micro-reactors and a federal nuclear development plan.

The party also pledged to dismantle renewable energy zones in the west and a coastal offshore-wind zone, and to drop the state’s net-zero emissions commitment. AGL, which owns Loy Yang, confirmed the closure timeline remains unchanged. Grattan Institute energy director Tony Wood cautioned that extending aging coal capacity could threaten grid stability and raise electricity prices, while Victoria University’s Bruce Mountain said scrapping renewable zones would have little practical impact. Critics note the lack of cost details and that the party has not yet consulted the plant’s owner.