New Acland Mine: Green groups lodge appeal against decision to grant water licence

Queensland’s longest running environmental legal fight shows no sign of stopping, after multiple green groups launched yet another bid in the courts.

Green groups have announced they will appeal the Queensland Government’s decision to grant New Acland Coal its associated water licence, and have called on the miner to stop working until the matter is resolved.

If work does not stop, the Oakey Coal Action Alliance and the Environmental Defenders Office have threatened bring an application for a stay to prevent New Acland Coal from acting on the associated water licence.

OCAA secretary Paul King said the environmentalists lodged an appeal in Land Court on Monday and called on the court to test the accuracy of the hydrology data the Department of Water used as a basis for awarding the licence.

He said he also expected representatives from the mine would have to front court and explain its maths.

“We won our original appeal on the issues of the effects the project would have on groundwater and we expect to see the same again,” he said

“The irreplaceable groundwater that sustains the Darling Downs agricultural region must be protected at all costs.”

Maps of the proposed Stage 3 expansion of the New Acland Coal Mine. The area is green shows the new coal pits. The town of Acland is in the centre.

The decision to grant New Acland the associated water licence was recently subject to an internal review, which Mr King said he expected to support the department’s findings.

He added this had to be done before an appeal could be launched.

“The department was marking its own homework but the Land Court is where we actually test the facts,” he said.

The threat of an application for a stay appears to have no effect on the Darling Downs mine, which has pushed forward with infrastructure work ahead of the Stage 3 expansion.

Just two weeks ago it held an official reopening and invited a raft of community leaders to mark the occasion.

Oakey Coal Action Alliance secretary Paul King. Picture: Kevin Farmer

New Hope Group CEO Bob Bishop said the Stage 3 expansion was the most reviewed and scrutinised resources project in Queensland’s history.

“The associated water licence has been subject to exhaustive reviews, comment and assessment by independent experts, peer reviewers, objectors, state regulators and commonwealth agencies, in advance of, or during, the associated water licence application process,” he said.

“OCCA’s latest legal challenge repeats arguments which have already been considered and rejected by previous decision makers. It has no merit and is nothing more than yet another attempt to delay mining operations at the Queensland Government approved, New Acland Mine Stage 3.

“The challenge will create anxiety for the local community and for the workforce of more than 100 local employees who recently returned to work at the New Acland Mine, with more intended to follow during ramp up of operations.”