Queensland election: New Acland aims for ‘Adani’ poll role

The proposed New Acland mine in southern Queensland could become the ‘Adani’ in the Queensland state election.

Queensland LNP leader Deb Frecklington at the Acland coalmine on Monday. Picture: David Martinelli

The proposed New Acland mine in southern Queensland could become the “Adani” in the Queensland state election as the mine’s developers run an aggressive campaign in marginal seats aimed at uniting the mining vote in support of its project.

New Hope’s proposed Acland mine is in the safe LNP seat of Condamine on the Darling Downs, but the company is ­questioning candidates in marginal Labor electorates around Rockhampton, Mackay and Townsville on their attitudes to the Acland mine and mining in general.

In last year’s federal election, the ALP’s equivocation about support for the Adani coalmine cost it dearly in central and North Queensland, with the ALP now holding six federal seats out of 30 in Queensland, all in the southeast.

While Adani stayed on the sidelines during the federal election, New Hope is taking a more active approach in the state election in the hope of mobilising public support for the mine.

New Hope blames the Palas­zczuk government’s stalling on approving the mine’s expansion for the loss of hundreds of jobs; the LNP says it would approve the project if elected.

The company has commissioned research that shows that the economic dependence of central and north Queensland on the mining industry, with much of the workforce for mines operating in the Bowen Basin ­region about 200km inland being based on the coast and working on a “drive-in, drive-out” basis.

The research shows that in the seat of Mackay, 63 per cent of those polled either had a job that depended on the mining industry or had a family member whose job depended on the mining industry; in Keppel near Rockhampton, there were 51 per cent in that position; and in the seat of Thuringowa in Townsville, there were 41 per cent.

The research also found that 88 per cent of those polled in Mackay thought coal jobs were vital for the economy in their ­region; in Keppel it was 86 per cent and in Thuringowa 73 per cent.

New Hope chief operating officer Andrew Boyd has met candidates in the Mackay-based seats of Mackay and Mirani and later this week will meet candidates in seats around Rockhampton and Townsville.

“We support anyone who supports us,” he said on Monday.

“What we are trying to do in central Queensland and north Queensland is alert those communities that their jobs are at risk. We have been on the never-ending approvals journey for 13 years, and our message to those communities is: this could happen to you.”

He said the company had erected billboards in the three cities and would be running radio advertisements as well as a vigorous social media campaign to support the mine.

Last week, the Palaszczuk government approved the Olive Downs mine west of Mackay, a decision Mr Boyd described as “surprising … it is a great announcement for the resources sector but also confusing, given the project is currently subject to a judicial review in the Supreme Court.

“Our workers and the Darling Downs community are wondering why one project can be approved while legal matters are unresolved while another, New Acland Stage 3, can’t.”

New Hope says the only outstanding approvals it needs before it can start work on the $900m stage 3 Acland mine is a mining lease and water approvals; all other necessary approvals have been obtained.

Queensland Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk has said she will not make a decision until all legal processes play out. The High Court will on Tuesday hear an application by the Oakey Coal Action Alliance that would have the effect of recommencing the approvals process.