New Hope Group has received key approval for its New Acland Stage III coal mine project in Queensland, Australia.
In a short media statement, Queensland Minister for Resources Scott Stewart said that the government has approved the mining leases for stage three of the New Acland project after ‘careful consideration’.
This comes after the project secured amended Environmental Authority in June following a separate independent assessment by the Department of Environment and Science.
The project still awaits associated water licence from the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water.
The latest approval was welcomed by industry association Queensland Resources Council (QRC).
QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane said: “No resources project in Queensland history has been more scrutinised or assessed than New Acland Stage 3, so this is very welcome news for people in the Oakey district.
“The QRC thanks Resources Minister Scott Stewart for his even-handed approach, and we acknowledge the detailed assessment work that has taken place over many years by the Department of Resources.”
The New Acland Coal Mine Stage III Project, located around 35 km north-west of Toowoomba, will expand the existing open-cut mine and increase production capacity to between 5.1 to 7.5 mtpa of coal.
The project will extend the mine life by 12 years. It will also support 400 jobs during peak operational period.
New Hope Group has started preparations to resume mining operations and will continue to work with the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water to secure the remaining approval.
New Hope Group chair Robert Millner added: “We are hopeful that the Queensland Government can see a way to finally approve New Acland Stage 3 with certainty to secure jobs in the region and significant economic benefits for Queensland.”
