Shovel ready as first coal dug at New Acland

The first coal shipment had been extracted from the long-delayed stage three of New Hope’s New Acland Mine after years of challenges from greenies.

It was shovels at the ready up at Oakey on Friday with the first coal extracted from the long delayed stage three of New Hope’s New Acland Mine.

New Acland Mine general manager Dave O’Dwyer, Toowoomba Mayor Geoff McDonald, Member for Condamine Pat Weir and Toowoomba and Surat Basin Enterprise (TSBE) boss Greg Bowden were on hand to see the first of 950,000 tonnes of coal expected to be extracted from the mine this financial year.

The activity comes after the Oakey Coal Action Alliance (OCAA) last month withdrew its Land Court stay application to block the project. O’Dwyer says the withdrawal is a welcome outcome for the site’s 100 plus workers.

Mine manager David O’Dwyer at the New Acland coal mine.

“The first coal, which was extracted yesterday at the Manning Vale East Pit was 16 years in the making,” O’Dwyer says. “It was a surreal moment and validates the efforts of so many workers and community leaders, who stood beside New Hope Group as we secured the necessary approvals from the Queensland Government.”

O’Dwyer says there will now be a significant ramp-up on site and a wave of additional milestones, including the first shipment of coal from New Acland Mine to the Port of Brisbane in more than two years. City Beat readers will recall New Acland has faced 16 years of environmental scrutiny and legal challenges, one of which reached the High Court.

There are currently more than a hundred local employees on site at the New Acland Mine, with the number expected to grow as a result of ramped up activity.

At the peak of construction, there will be approximately 600 local workers at and throughout the life of the project, the permanent workforce will be approximately 400 full-time roles, made up of Darling Downs locals.

Data#3 changes

Changes at the helm of local tech firm Data#3 with chairman Richard Anderson planning to step down at the annual general meeting next month and replaced by Mark Gray.

Gray joined the Data#3 board in 2017 and chairs the remuneration and nomination committee. He is also the chairman of Sugar Terminals Limited, deputy chairman of Urban Utilities and non-executive director of the Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility, Queensland Cricket, and the Royal Flying Doctor Service of Australia (Queensland).

Anderson is a foundational member of the board since Data#3’s ASX listing in 1997 and has served as chairman since 2000.

Sunny spot

City Beat caught up with ANZ Group chief economist Richard Yetsenga this week over a latte at the Fig & Olive Cafe in Eagle St. 

Yetsenga was keen to talk up the Queensland economy based on its export potential and strong migration from southern states.

But Sydney-based Yetsenga, who grew up on the Sunshine Coast, says he is not keen to join the trek north despite ANZ still keen on buying Suncorp Bank in a $4.9bn deal.

If that deal finally gets regulatory approval, many southern-based ANZers may want to escape to the blue skies of the Sunshine State. Noosa sounds nice, says Yetsenga.

Richard Yetsenga