Queensland Resources Council calls for State Government to legislate to enable Acland’s path forward

In 2007, the State Government pushed through legislation to validate the approval of a coal mine. Now there’s calls for them to do it again.

The New Acland Coal Mine.

The Queensland Resources Council will ask the State Government to provide certainty around the process required to approve an expansion of New Hope Group’s New Acland Coal Mine.

The QRC’s request comes after the High Court on Wednesday referred an appeal by the Oakey Coal Action Alliance against the expansion back to Queensland’s Land Court.

Chief executive Ian Macfarlane said New Hope and the Queensland resources industry was looking for an assurance from the State Government that if the approval application was returned to the Land Court, the next ruling from the Land Court would not be further delayed by challenges and appeals by activists.

He said there was precedent for the government to take action to support the expansion of New Acland Stage 3, which was approved for development by Queensland’s Co-ordinator General in 2014.

“Former Premier Anna Bligh enacted legislation in 2007 to allow for an expansion of Xstrata’s Wollombi coal mine,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“The Premier took this action after the Queensland Court of Appeal found in favour of objections to the mine and referred the matter back to the Land Court for a re-hearing.

The Premier’s response was to announce her government would legislate to remove uncertainty saying:

“My government is not prepared to have this uncertainty. Next week we will legislate to validate the mining lease so the mine can proceed, but only with stringent environmental requirements.”

Mr Macfarlane said that ironically, the Bligh Government’s 2007 decision was the same year New Hope lodged an application to expand its New Acland mine, which was 14 years ago.

“Right now Queensland desperately needs new jobs and a boost in economic activity to stimulate a post-COVID recovery,” he said.

“That won’t happen unless the industry has certainty and confidence in the approval process for mining applications.”

Mr Macfarlane said hundreds of workers employed at New Acland had already lost their jobs and local communities and businesses were suffering.

Condamine MP and opposition spokesman for resources and mines Pat Weir said the heart had been ripped out of Oakey and the Darling Downs community.

“The Premier must go to our community immediately and explain to them what just happened and how she intends to support them into the future,” he said.