Almost three聽years after a community group began a campaign to oppose New Hope鈥檚 plans to expand its New Acland Coal (NAC) mine in the Darling Downs, the Queensland Land Court re-heard聽the case for the mine on October 2-4.
The (OCAA), involving more than 60 farmers and residents, rejects the Stage 3 extension and wants a plan for workers to be able to find jobs in the renewable sector. It has proposed an alternative, the Acland Sustainable Energy Plan, which states that 鈥渢here are far more sustainable options for the future of the fertile Acland, Oakey and Jondaryan region than coal mining鈥.
OCAA鈥檚 Acland energy plan is 鈥渁 pathway to a sustainable land management plan鈥 with a focus on 鈥渕aintaining the soils and food production potential that this region offers鈥. It also offers farmers 鈥渁 more stable income by diversifying food production with solar electricity production鈥.
鈥淭his model of development could be implemented across Australia鈥, OCAA said. 鈥淚t is far more sustainable economically, socially and environmentally than the current approach that has been termed 鈥榪uarry vision鈥.鈥澛
Despite many setbacks, New Hope has not given up on its mine expansion.
In May 2017, the Queensland Land Court recommended the Stage 3 expansion be rejected outright after the most intense factual scrutiny ever applied by the court to a mining project. 聽The case began in March 2016 and ran for seven months. It was re-opened in April 2017 at New Hope鈥檚 request to submit further groundwater evidence.
Mining applicant New Acland Coal appealed the court鈥檚 decision and applied to the Queensland Supreme Court for a review. On May 28, the court decided to refer the matter back to the Queensland Land Court for further, limited, consideration.
On May 30, OCAA appealed the Supreme Court聽decision: the hearing in the Queensland Court of Appeal will take place in February 2019.
The Land Court has reserved its decision on this latest hearing, pending the Court of Appeal鈥檚 decision.
If Acland Stage 3 was prevented from proceeding, the existing mine would be exhausted by 2020.
In November 2016, energy minister : 鈥淭he Land Court process is a rigorous process that I thoroughly respect鈥.
However, he did not respect the process sufficiently to act on the Land Court鈥檚 recommendation to reject Acland Stage 3. Instead, he used the fact that the decision was subject to appeal to not make a decision.
The Queensland government says it supports transitioning to 50% renewable energy by 2025. But this would require a dramatic shift from fossil fuels, which currently make聽up 92% of its energy mix. Just 8% is supplied by renewables.聽
the state will reach 20% renewables by 2020, with large-scale renewable capacity set to double over the next 12 months. The state has to move from 8 to 50% renewable energy in just under 12 years to achieve its target.