New Acland Coal to plant 3000 trees as part of conservation program

New Acland Mine has started work on it Lagoon Creek Conservation Zone that will see thousands of trees planted over the coming decade.

The Lagoon Creek Conservation Zone at the New Acland Mine, west of Toowoomba.

New Acland Coal will plant more than 3000 trees as part of rehabilitation work in the mine’s 13.5km Lagoon Creek Conservation Zone.

The program is expected to take 10 years to complete.

New Acland Mine General Manager, Dave O’Dwyer said the new trees would complement previously rehabilitated space and foster animal and plant biodiversity.

“More than 135 hectares of land alongside Lagoon Creek will be prioritised and planted with native vegetation, including eucalyptus, paper bark and other refuge trees, designed to significantly boost the local koala population,” he said.

“New Acland Mine is home to one of Australia’s most ambitious and practical land management programs.

The New Acland Mine operators will plant 3000 trees over the next decade.

“Established more than 17 years ago, the progressive rehabilitation program returns mined land to agricultural and conservation uses while contributing to the region’s agribusiness industry.

The project runs from Peachey Maclagan Road to south of the Manning Vale West Pit.

More than 740ha of former scrub and farm land has been rehabilitated over the life of the mine.

Of this, 349 hectares has been formally ratified as progressively rehabilitated mined land by the Queensland Government.

The announcement comes as the mine’s operators sought to hire about 600 staff for its Stage 3 expansion.

Originally published as New Acland Coal to plant 3000 trees as part of conservation program