Department maintains everything about New Acland decsion was above board

ABC radio aired a leading environmental activist’s claim that regulators have been unduly influenced by alleged close relationships with New Acland Mine staff. Those claims have been met with furious and full-throttled rejections.

A State Government department has rubbished claims aired on ABC radio that its staff were ‘unduly influenced’ by personal relationships with the New Hope Group when they approved the Environmental Authority for New Acland Coal Stage 3 expansion.Lock the Gate spokesman and Oakey Coal Action Alliance secretary Paul King took to ABC radio earlier this week and questioned the independence of the Department of Environment and Science.

“A few public servants who may have been captured or influenced by a particular client are not going to stand between us,” he said.

“We will ensure it is scrutinised (Environmental Authority)

Mr King repeated the claims when he was contacted by the Chronicle.

He claimed staff from the DES and the major mining companies often move between the public and private sector and the relationships they formed lead to conflicts of interest.

“Theoretically that should give them a better insight into regulation but in practice it becomes a collaboration to subvert the environmental regulation, or so it appears.

“That is what we are going to dig into.”

Paul King of Oakey Coal Action Alliance (right) has aired claims of undue influence on a Department of Environment and Science decision to approve the Environmental Authority of New Acland Coal’s Stage 3 expansion.

On June 28 DES approved NAC’s amended Environmental Authority for NAC’s Stage 3 expansion which has strict limits on air and noise emissions as recommended by the Land and Environment Court.

Mr King criticised a recent decision by DES to enter into an enforceable undertaking with NAC to build a $2 million koala habitat in response to the mining company conducting unapproved work in its West Pit instead of resolving the matter in court.

He claimed that undertaking mostly involved work NAC had already agreed to do and was soft touch in comparison to a $14,000 fine DES handed to Dalby compost company NuGrow after it failed to install the correct barrier at its Kogan worksite.

“It seems that there has been a degree of liaison between NAC and DES which is beyond what might be expected in a professional relationship,” he said.

“That may have promoted unhealthy interest in DES giving NAC a lighter run than what they might have expected for the magnitude of the breach.”

Mr King said the allegations will form part of the OCAA’s appeal against DES approval which is due on July 26.

Both NAC and DES have strenuously denied any hint of collusion.

“The department strongly refutes these allegations,” A DES spokeswoman said.

“If anybody has any evidence to support claims of interference with the independent processes by DES, they should report this immediately to the Crime and Corruption Commission.

“None of the public servants involved in these decisions have ever worked for the New Hope Group or, for that matter, any mining company.

“There are safeguards in place to ensure that all decisions made by DES, including in this case, are made objectively, without influence, and in accordance with the legislation.”

New Hope Group CEO, Rob Bishop was equally critical.

“There is no basis to suggest the Department of Environment and Science was influenced in any way by New Hope Group to award New Acland Stage 3 its Environmental Authority.”

“Mr King’s extreme and ill-judged comments are an insult to those who work at the Department of Environment and Science.”

“The Department of Environment and Science took more than six months to hand down a decision. As the independent regulator, they issued New Acland Stage 3’s Environmental Authority in accordance with the recommendations of the Land Court and the Co-ordinator General’s stated conditions, following their own extensive review.”