Isaac council to oppose Resources Minister Scott Stewart approval for Byerwen camp

The long-running saga around QCoal’s proposed mining camp at Byerwen has reached a new pitch of tension, with Isaac council launching broadsides against Resources Minister Scott Stewart.

Resources Minister Scott Stewart has given preliminary approval for a new 450-bed workers camp at the Byerwen coal mine in Central Queensland, but it’s not the end of the long-running saga over accommodation for the mine.

Isaac Council Acting Mayor Kelly Vea Vea is furious and said her council would submit an objection to the decision in the coming days.

The council took QCoal, the operator of the mine, to court over the camp, arguing the company could house its workers in nearby Glenden.

The Planning and Environment court sided with the council’s arguments, though the Supreme Court said the court had erred in its reasoning and redirected the matter back for another hearing.

The planning court again ruled in the council’s favour in May this year.

Ms Vea Vea said Mr Stewart’s decision had undercut the authority of local governments and damaged the regulatory landscape across Queensland.

The township of Glenden in Central Queensland. Picture: Contributed

“What does it say to local governments if we pursue and win the case of mining lease conditions through a court system, only then for companies to circumvent them through the backdoor of a minister’s office?” she asked.

She also said the camp would signal the death knell for Glenden’s future as a viable township.

“The state government will allow 650Mt to be dug out of the ground in Glenden over a 50-year lifespan while a community 20km away falls to its knees,” she said.

“The Minister is protecting the resource company but who’s protecting our communities?”

Mr Stewart, speaking in Townsville, said he had decided on a mining lease application, which is separate from the development application QCoal submitted with Isaac council.

He said he would read submissions from QCoal and Isaac before making his final decision.

The $1.8bn Byerwen project is expected to produce up to 10Mt tonnes of hard coking coal per annum with a lifespan of more than 50 years.

The proposed location for the QCoal workers camp near the Byerwen coal mine. Picture: Contributed

At full production the workforce is expected to be between 850 and 900 employees.

The company has argued housing its workforce at Glenden is unreasonable because of the commute time between the mine site and town, which is about 30 minutes one way.

Ms Vea Vea said Isaac councillors had a good “working relationship” with Mr Stewart but had not spoken since the decision fell.

“The decision makes a mockery of the Planning Act, the justice system and the state government’s environmental impact assessment process and the social impact assessment within it,” she said.

“What we absolutely know out here, is that that coal is coming out of the ground, no matter what.

“So it calls into question whether the Minister has the stomach to say no to a mining company.”