After more than a decade in and out of court, a group of farmers has ended its fight against a controversial coal mine expansion on Queensland’s Darling Downs.
The Oakey Coal Action Alliance (OCAA) has withdrawn its appeal against the state government’s 2022 decision to grant an Associated Water Licence (AWL) to New Hope Group’s New Acland Stage 3 mine.
The group’s secretary Paul King said withdrawing the appeal was a difficult decision after years of “complex, expensive and risky” work.
“We kicked off then [2014] in Dalby and we went through to the Land Court in a hearing which was heard in full in 2016 and 2017,” he said.
“[The legal action] progressed through every level of the Queensland court system, the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, and of course the High Court of Australia, where we had an historic win,” he said.
“Since that time, New Hope has had a succession of wins in the Land Court, three land court hearings, and that’s what it took for them to get their approval.”
OCAA members Lee Mason, John Standley, Aileen Harrison and Paul King in 2021. (ABC Southern Qld: Elly Bradfield)
Mr King said the group now needed to make “a strategic withdrawal”.
“It’s obviously been an emotional roller-coaster,” he said.
New Hope and OCAA have reached an agreement that requires the company to receive consent from the Department of Local Government, Water and Volunteers and subsequent filing with the Land Court of Queensland.
Mine ramps up
New Hope Group chair Robert Millner said the conclusion of OCAA’s final legal challenge would give certainty to the local community.
Oakey farmers have been divided over the mine’s expansion plans. (ABC Southern Qld: Elly Bradfield )
The planned project will expand the mine’s production to up to 7.5 million tonnes per annum for another 12 years.
“The end of OCAA’s challenge gives us confidence to progress our ramp up plan and develop the Manning Vale West mining area,” Mr Millner said.
“The permanent workforce at New Acland will be approximately 400 full-time roles once New Acland Stage 3 is fully developed.”
Mr Millner said more than 90 per cent of its current workforce was living within 50 kilometres of the site.
“New Acland provides an essential energy product to our trading partners in Asia and domestically and will bring significant economic benefits for Queensland, and especially the Darling Downs region,” he said.
Fight for future
Dairy farmer and OCAA president David Vonhoff said he was saddened OCAA had to withdraw.
“I am worried that my grandson will not be able to carry on dairying,” he said.
“Climate destruction is real. Water is precious. We will battle on, but this part is over.”
OCAA, which formed in 2011, said it would continue to operate as a charity to protect farmland and water resources on the Darling Downs.
“We’re going to make sure that there’s no stage four application, or if there is, it’s met with the fiercest of resistance, and that really is part of our decision at the moment,” Mr King said.
