Vast stocks of brown coal could be unlocked in Victoria's Latrobe Valley to be shipped to China, India and Japan under a Baillieu government plan, according to a report.
The state government has confirmed it is seeking expressions of interest for new allocations of coal in a bid to boost jobs and investment in the Latrobe Valley, News Ltd and Fairfax report.
"The government believes that brown coal can and should play a key role in our energy future," Energy Minister Michael O'Brien told the Herald Sun.
"Encouraging new investors and the right technologies could deliver a new generation of industry in the Latrobe Valley, boosting the local economy and creating new jobs."
The Latrobe Valley, in the state's east, sits on more than 30 billion tonnes of brown coal.
The coalition claims interest in buying the coal exists in China, India and Japan, according to the Herald Sun.
Victorian Greens MP Greg Barber told the newspaper the move would lead to environmental damage and inflate local power prices.
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