Mining company New Hope Neighborhood says it is one step nearer to approval of its controversial Stage 3 coal mine expansion in Queensland’s Darling Downs after a document by the Coordinator Traditional used to be handed down.
Key facets:
- After five months of intensive consultation, New Hope Neighborhood says the authorities can now finalise a recent coal mine
- The controversial New Acland expansion has been held up in court for 15 years
- Oakey Coal Motion Alliance People protest there are restful approvals to be given earlier than the mine expansion is a accomplished deal
Nevertheless, a lobby group of landholders in opposition to the mission acknowledged there were restful barriers for the expansion, and the most contemporary federal election result “confirmed Queenslanders didn’t resolve on extra coal mines”.
Gradual last yr, the Queensland Land Court conditionally licensed the expansion of the New Acland coal mine on the Darling Downs.
A document used to be then to be ready by the Coordinator Traditional, which used to be handed down slack last week.
The document outlined stipulations to be incorporated into the New Acland Stage 3 Environmental Authority.
New Hope Neighborhood chief govt Rob Bishop acknowledged the decision on approving the rent used to be now earlier than the Queensland authorities.
“New Acland Stage 3 has been extensively reviewed, assessed and scrutinised,” Mr Bishop acknowledged.
“The Land Court task and the Coordinator Traditional’s consultation task has allowed every person to dangle their protest concerning the mission.
“This ancient pattern is a inexperienced gentle for finalisation of the approvals task and capability we can now focal point extra on plans to re-launch the mine and recruit our personnel.”
File instills self belief in mine workers
Mine manager Dave O’Dwyer acknowledged the document had given him self belief the mission would ride forward.
“The Coordinator Traditional has regarded through the total issues that were talked about in the Land Court and pulled that every one together, so it in actual fact develops a framework for the EA [environmental assessment],” he acknowledged.
Mr O’Dwyer acknowledged it used to be the “first step, first domino, ready to tumble and the leisure would possibly per chance per chance presumably merely restful would possibly per chance per chance presumably merely restful advance alongside after”.
Gradual last yr, the mine ran out of coal and used to be pressured to let ride most of its last workers and ride into caretaker mode.
Water rights would possibly per chance per chance presumably merely restful be a plot back
Nevertheless Paul King from the Oakey Coal Motion Alliance (OCAA) acknowledged the technique used to be not that straight forward and the implications for groundwater for internal reach farmers had not been thought to be enough in the land court task.
“The approval that New Hope restful wants is the approval of the minister, and they want a water licence,” he acknowledged.
“So each and each of these restful remain barriers.”
Mr King acknowledged the lobby group would pursue lawful action over groundwater next.
With out the connected water licence, New Acland can not intervene with groundwater and therefore can not mine coal.
“And there’s nothing that stops us from doing it.”
Mr O’Dwyer acknowledged the mine used to be dedicated to not taking groundwater and used to be confident it will per chance presumably per chance meet the requirements for the water evaluate task.
‘Queenslanders don’t resolve on extra thermal coal’
The planned expansion has been the sphere of lawful battles for well over a decade, with the OCAA comprising better than 60 local landholders opposing the mission.
Mr King acknowledged OCAA would be assembly with the Property Minister Scott Stewart on Friday.
He acknowledged he would be telling the minister that the most contemporary federal election result had shown Queenslanders didn’t resolve on extra coal mines.
“They aren’t tiresome, they know that, so it would in actual fact be a retrograde step now to turn their backs on the farmers of that district in favour of thermal coal mining, because it merely would possibly per chance per chance presumably well not pay in the long bustle, economically, or politically.”
The Queensland authorities has long maintained it would handiest set up in mind granting approvals for the mine once all lawful processes were accomplished.
Mr Scott told the ABC that every one sources initiatives must stack up environmentally, socially and financially.
“The Coordinator-Traditional has launched a Change File on the New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 mission as directed by the Land Court,” he acknowledged.
“The document has been equipped to the Division of Atmosphere and Science to set up in mind as segment of the Environmental Authority task.
“The Division of Atmosphere and Science must encompass the Coordinator-Traditional’s acknowledged stipulations in an amended Environmental Authority for the mission, earlier than a mining rent would possibly per chance per chance presumably even be granted.
New Hope Neighborhood first applied for repute of its Stage 3 expansion in 2007.
Since then, it has been stalled by legislative demands and protracted lawful challenges.
The OCAA first lodged a lawful field in opposition to the mission in the Land Court in 2016.
The hearing lasted nearly 100 days, turning into the longest in the court’s history.
The document will now be effect earlier than the Division of Atmosphere and Science, which will work with New Hope Neighborhood on the atmosphere evaluate.