New Hope Acland mine under scrutiny after laws repealed

Alan Jones can celebrate victory in a long-running battle over coal in his old Queensland hometown of Acland.

As Sydney broadcaster Alan Jones dug in to protect the fertile Liverpool Plains from mining this week he could celebrate another victory in a long-running battle over coal in his former hometown of Acland in Queensland.

Details of the controversial approval for the Acland stage three mine and political donations by its owner, New Hope, are likely to be examined in court after the Queensland government overturned Newman government legislation that limited rights of appeal. Objectors again have the right to take legal action against certain ­projects.

Jones has been a longstanding and outspoken critic of the Acland mine because of its location on the agriculturally significant Darling Downs.

He was sued for defamation by former Queensland premier Campbell Newman during this year’s state election campaign after he raised questions of impropriety over donations from the mine owner to the LNP and federal Liberal Party. The suit was dropped.

Questions have also been raised about land tenure arrangements for Acland which give ownership of minerals to the landholder, who is exempt from paying coal royalties.

Queensland environment groups have welcomed the opportunity to challenge the Acland mine extension in court.

“Farmers and concerned groups of the Darling Downs and throughout Queensland will now have a chance to save our food bowls, underground and surface water,” Coal Action Alliance vice-president Aileen Harrison said.

But Queensland Resources Council chief executive Michael Roche said repeal of the law would “pave the way for vexatious litigants to delay projects, tie up scarce Land Court resources and cost the state millions of dollars in lost royalties’’.