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New Acland facing fresh challenges

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Photo by Bloomberg

16th May 2023

By: Esmarie Iannucci

Creamer Media Senior Deputy Editor: Australasia

     

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PERTH (miningweekly.com) – Coal miner New Hope Corporation is facing yet another legal challenge to its New Acland Mine Stage 3, with environmental group Oakey Coal Action Alliance (OCAA) having launched a challenge.

The OCAA is challenging the Queensland government’s grant of an associated water license in the Land Court, and is seeking undertakings that New Acland Coal cease carrying out operations, including the mining of coal, pending the outcome of the appeal.

In the absence of undertakings, OCAA will consider bringing a stay application in the Land Court to prevent New Acland Coal from acting on the associated water licence (AWL) granted by the Queensland government.

New Hope was in October last year granted the AWL for the New Acland Stage 3 development, marking the final primary approval requirement to enable the restart of mining operations at the New Acland mine.

New Hope told shareholders on Tuesday that while the OCAA’s legal challenge in the Land Court was against the Queensland government, New Acland Coal had been a respondent to the Land Court proceedings, filing an application for orders to amend certain conditions in the AWL which New Acland Coal considers are inconsistent with the terms of other approvals for the mine including the Coordinator General’s stated conditions and the mining lease for New Acland Stage 3.

“New Acland Coal’s preference would have been to resolve any inconsistencies in approval terms directly with the relevant Queensland government departments, however, it will follow the Land Court processes in light of OCAA’s new legal challenge,” New Hope said in a statement.

The company said it intended to progress the ramp-up of operations at New Acland while it assesses and responds to the new legal challenge.

“The Queensland government has confirmed that New Acland Stage 3 stacks up environmentally, socially and financially, and has praised New Acland Coal for its focus on community and local employment, and for the success of New Acland Coal’s award-winning rehabilitation works over the life of the project to date,” said New Hope chairperson Robert Millner.

“The Queensland government Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water originally granted the New Acland Mine Stage 3 AWL after extensive review and then subsequently undertook a further extensive, independent review which affirmed the original decision to grant the New Acland Mine Stage 3 AWL.

“Despite this, OCAA’s new legal challenge will see New Acland Stage 3 return to the Land Court for a fourth time and New Acland Coal will be forced to spend yet more time and resources in responding to the ‘lawfare’ tactics of OCAA.

“We are hopeful that the Queensland government can see a way to intervene to prevent yet more litigation in the Land Court. New Acland Stage 3 ensures secure jobs in the region and will provide an essential energy product to our trading partners in Asia and domestically, and will bring significant economic benefits for Queensland.”

The Stage 3 expansion project will increase the mine’s yearly output from 4.8-million tonnes to 7.5-million tonnes and will extend the operation’s life by about 12 years.

At the peak of construction, there will be approximately 600 local workers at New Acland mine. Throughout the life of the project, the permanent workforce will be approximately 400 full-time roles, made up of Darling Downs locals.

Edited by Creamer Media Reporter

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