Tradesmen back at work after two year New Acland Coal shutdown

It was a like a family reunion for workers who returned to the New Acland Coal mine on Wednesday in preparation for its expansion later this year.

After two years lying dormant, New Acland Coal’s workshops are ringing with the sounds of workers busy repairing and maintaining the site’s massive bulldozers and dump trucks.

They are preparing for NAC’s Stage Three expansion that will expand the mine’s operating life out past 2035, more than double its size and dig up about 7.5 million tonnes of coal

Most of the 100 staff who started work last week were at the site before it shut down in December 2021 after furious opposition from green groups.

Activists from the Oakey Coal Action Alliance sought to block the expansion arguing it would corrupt valuable aquifers that nearby farmers relied on to feed their stock and irrigate their fields.

For a time they were successful.

But the rolling legal challenges proved fruitless and workers were keen to put those uncertain times behind them.

Mark Lotz, maintenance supervisor, took up share farming during the two-year New Acland Coal shutdown. He said he was glad to be back at the mine site. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Maintenance Supervisor Mark Lotz was one the workers laid off in 2021 and said he was quick to apply for his old job when he heard the NCA has secured its associated water licence, clearing the way for Stage Three.

“I was here for about 14 years,” he said.

“I started as a fitter and worked up to the supervisor role.

“Within the last six months we all knew the shutdown was going to happen.

“The mood was low, we were all a bit down but the company handled it pretty well, there was a lot of support and information so everyone knew what was happening.”

But despite NAC telegraphing the closure, Mr Lotz was left unemployed and had to have difficult conversations with his wife and family.

“It was a bit scary because I have always been employed and always had a job to go to,” he said.

Rather than follow many of his co-workers into a fly-in-fly-out job at mine in central Queensland, Mr Lotz wanted to stay local to be with his children and he found himself share farming.

As of last week he was back at NAC and working with old mates again.

“Everyone just slotted straight back in.”

NCA worker Mark Van Dongen said having the mine open means he can be home every evening to watch his kids grow up. Picture: Nev Madsen.

Returning worker Mark Van Dongen was also back with his mates in the workshops having spent the past two years at the Millmerran Power Station’s mine.

He said he was lucky to source a local job during the shutdown because it kept his family together.

“A lot of guys had to travel away from their families,” Mr Van Dongen said

“It is great for us to see them go home to the kids each night and watch them grow up.”

The second intake of about a 100 workers will start this week and in the coming months NAC will build up to about 400 workers, including trainees and apprentices.

By mid-year NAC expects it will bring in extra construction workers to build the infrastructure needed before it can extra coal from the Stage Three lease.

The hiring frenzy came about after NAC opened an online expressions of interest portal in November 2022 which received more than 1800 applications.

Dave O'Dwyer General Manager (centre) and first 100 staff members back at work after New Acland Coal two-year shutdown. Picture: Nev Madsen.

While NAC’s legal battles are over for now, green groups have vowed to fight on.

The Oakey Coal Action Alliance and Lock the Gate called for the Queensland Department of Water to review its decision to grant the associated water licence.

The department has confirmed it will review that decision and depending on what happens, OCAA could launch a fresh round of Land Court challenges.

A map of NCA’s Stage Three expansion. The area is green shows the new coal pits. The town of Acland is in the centre.

OCAA secretary Paul King said NAC was giving ‘false hope’ to its workers and coal was a ‘twilight’ industry.

“NAC is a candlestick maker and renewables are the light bulb. It’s about time the company realised this and invested in clean energy, rather than doubling down on polluting and damaging coal.”