Ribbon cut on vexed New Acland coalmine expansion
After more than a decade of clearing bureaucratic, political and legal hurdles, the New Acland coalmine has officially opened its $900m stage-three expansion.
After more than a decade of clearing bureaucratic, political and legal hurdles, the New Acland coalmine has officially opened its $900m stage-three expansion.
Surrounded by farming country on the Darling Downs west of Toowoomba, the mine was officially opened by Queensland Resources Minister Scott Stewart on Wednesday, 16 years after miner New Hope lodged an application to expand the open-cut pit.
Its Australian owners expect to ship the first load of coal mined from the expansion in August.
“Today is a moment of celebration for our workforce, their families, local farmers, landholders, business leaders and the local community,” New Hope Group chief executive Rob Bishop said.
“I would like to congratulate and thank the Oakey and Darling Downs communities for standing side by side with New Hope Group over the past 16 years. Today … is reward for their perseverance, patience and belief.”
Described by New Hope as the “most scrutinised and assessed resources project in Queensland history”, the expansion has faced numerous setbacks but ultimately overcame them all when the Palaszczuk government signed off on the final environmental approval in April.
The expansion, which at times faced opposition from all sides of politics, became emblematic of Queensland Labor’s conundrum of trying to appease environmentalists and its Left faction while upholding its support of traditional blue-collar jobs.
Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk refused to intervene while the project was subjected to repeated legal challenges.
“The Queensland government reviewed, assessed and scrutinised this project and found it stacks up environmentally, socially and financially,” Mr Bishop said. “With the Queensland government’s endorsement, the long-awaited expansion of operations into New Acland Mine stage three is now being realised.”
New Hope projected there would be 600 local workers hired during peak construction of the new pit, with a permanent workforce of about 400 full-time roles during the 15-year life of the project.
Currently, about 100 people work at the site, up from about 20 left employed when the mine entered care and maintenance mode in 2021 after running out of coal.
Mr Stewart acknowledged the “long history” behind the project.
“What they’ve been able to do, New Hope, is make sure this mine stacks up financially, environmentally and socially, and that’s why they got the approval,” he said.
“This has really been a long piece of work.
“(New Hope) have got a great track record here, where around 95 per cent of the current staff are locals, which means they support the local community and the local economy will continue.”
Environmentalists and farmers opposed to the expansion have said they were considering yet another appeal to the Land Court, where the project has already faced three lengthy hearings.
It has also been to the High Court and to the Queensland Supreme Court.
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