Morwell residents left feeling abandoned

Thousands of face masks are being issued in Morwell as choking smoke and ash from the Hazelwood fire threatens to cause serious health problems.

Angry residents claim they have been abandoned and forgotten by the state government.

One, Emma Ramsey, is frustrated and angry. She has two-year-old twins who love to play outside. But, in the past week, it has come at a cost.

Baby struggled to breathe, court told
Truckie 'sleeping', court told

“Their breathing and coughing, she's got a really bad wheeze and Mason's is starting to get really bad,” she said.

Emma wants to leave, but it is not an option without government help.

Cafe owner Michelle Gatt is also reeling. Not only is her trade well down but her beloved dog, Chooch, is suffering from a serious reaction to the ash.

Michelle said: “You know we risk losing our homes, we risk losing our businesses."

Just behind Morwell sits the Hazelwood open cut mine, where a fire has been burning out of control for a fortnight.

It is half the size it was, but it has been a brutal battle involving firefighters from almost every state and territory.

Morwell is a town familiar with the risks of coal mining and residents know how difficult a mine fire can be.

But they now have serious concerns about the long term impact of this crisis - both on their health, and on the survival of the town.

And the Premier has not visited for ten days.

Tony Morgan, a local business owner, said: “I think we've been left alone a little bit, because if this was in Melbourne it would be major.”

The air quality in the Latrobe Valley today is rated very poor in Traralgon and Morwell east. Morwell south is slightly better but still vastly worse than Melbourne.

Now, 25,000 masks have been issued, and authorities have set up constant air monitoring, health assessments and respite centres.

Authorities now say evacuation of Morwell is unlikely, and there are no indications there will be any long-term health effects from the smoke and ash.