After more than a decade of legal battles, a group of farmers has ended its fight against the controversial expansion of a coal mine on Queensland’s Darling Downs.
The Oakey Coal Action Alliance (OCAA) has decided to withdraw its appeal against the state government’s 2022 approval of an Associated Water Licence (AWL) for New Hope Group’s New Acland Stage 3 mine expansion.
OCAA secretary Paul King described the decision to withdraw as difficult after years of “complex, expensive and risky” legal work. The battle began in 2014 in Dalby, progressing to a full Land Court hearing in 2016 and 2017. Since then, New Hope has won three Land Court hearings, ultimately securing approval for the mine expansion.
“It’s been an emotional roller-coaster,” King said, explaining the group’s decision to make “a strategic withdrawal.”
An agreement has been reached between New Hope and OCAA, requiring the company to seek consent from the Department of Local Government, Water, and Volunteers, and file the agreement with the Land Court of Queensland.
Mine Expansion Continues
Robert Millner, chair of New Hope Group, said the end of OCAA’s final legal challenge would bring clarity to the local community. The expansion plans aim to increase the mine’s production to 7.5 million tonnes per year for the next 12 years.
“The conclusion of OCAA’s challenge allows us to move forward with our ramp-up plans and develop the Manning Vale West mining area,” Millner said.
The expansion is expected to create approximately 400 permanent full-time jobs once Stage 3 is fully developed. Millner also noted that more than 90% of New Acland’s current workforce lives within 50 kilometers of the site.
“New Acland is vital for providing energy to our trading partners in Asia and domestically, and it will bring significant economic benefits to Queensland, particularly to the Darling Downs region,” he added.
Ongoing Struggle
David Vonhoff, president of OCAA and a dairy farmer, expressed sadness over the withdrawal but said the fight was far from over.
“I worry that my grandson will not be able to continue dairying,” Vonhoff said. “Climate destruction is real. Water is precious. We will continue our battle, but this chapter has ended.”
OCAA, formed in 2011, will continue as a charity focused on protecting farmland and water resources in the Darling Downs.
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