PM blames Victoria premier for Hazelwood closure

The closure of Victoria's Hazelwood brown coal power station is the state government's fault, Malcolm Turnbull says.

Exterior view of the Hazelwood coal fired power station, Melbourne

Workers finish the last shift at Hazelwood as the coal-fired power station closes for good. (AAP)

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has blamed Hazelwood's closure on Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, as the last of the plant's workers finished their shift at the power station.

Workers left the brown coal power station for the last time on Saturday as the final shift ended at 7am.

"Here in this state we're seeing the sad day when the workers of Hazelwood leave that power station for the last time," the prime minister told reporters in Melbourne on Saturday morning.

"Now that is a consequence of the Labor Party's complete failure to lead on energy.

"Daniel Andrews has allowed that enormous baseline power station to close."

Hazelwood shut up shop after 52 years on Friday. The plant's eight generators were shut down over three days earlier in the week.

Some of the 750 employees and contractors will retire, but others are now left in limbo, waiting to see if they are accepted for a worker transfer program or get jobs elsewhere.

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Source: AAP



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