As a result production levels from the New Acland operation under the new proposal will be reduced by at least 25% from the originally proposed 10 million tonnes per annum.
There will also be an overall reduction in the amount of land used for mining activities by more than half and mining operations would be at least 10km away from Oakey at their nearest point.
New Hope chief executive officer Rob Neale said the company had compromised on a number of key elements associated with the previous version of the New Acland stage 3 expansion project to address concerns, while also keeping the mine open beyond 2017.
“The plan will extend the life of the current operation to about 2029, boosting current employment from 300 local jobs to about 400, increasing 160 full time contractors to 170 positions and growing indirect jobs from about 2300 to more than 2800,” he said.
“The plan will also provide an annual $530 million injection into the southeast Queensland economy and $8 billion over the life of the mine.
“The proposed compromise plan will see New Acland continue to act as a spur to the Darling Downs economy through direct and indirect employment, investment, business and community development.”
Neale said New Hope would continue to work in partnership with neighbours, local residents, government agencies and other key stakeholders to further develop the plan.
“Under the plan, the Jondaryan rail loading facility will be moved away from near the township and onto a remote part of the mining lease area, as announced in February this year,” Neale said.
It will also mean the Acland town area, including the Tom Doherty Park, the War Memorial and the Acland No 2 colliery, will be preserved.
Under the plan there will also be no need for any creek diversions.
“This compromise continuation plan addresses the major community concerns while still yielding significant economic outcomes for the local region and the state,” Neale said.
Queensland Coordinator-General Barry Broe will take the revised project back to square one for community input and draw up new draft terms of reference for a new environmental impact statement.
The draft terms of reference will be advertised shortly.
“The EIS process is no guarantee the project will proceed – it acknowledges that a significant project requires a rigorous assessment process with the community able to have its say on the project,” Broe said.
There will also be an extended eight-week period for comment – double the standard period.
Deputy Premier Jeff Seeney said the revised proposal for the New Acland mine significantly reduced its impact on agricultural land and impacts on the towns of Acland, Jondaryan and Oakey.
“Critically, mining over the town of Acland is no longer proposed, neither is diversion of Lagoon Creek, the reduction in scope will move mining 10 kilometres from Oakey and the Jondaryan rail load-out facility will be moved to the minesite, eight kilometres from the town,” he said.
“We are conscious that there will be strong and divergent views about this revised proposal for expansion of the New Acland mine, even though it is significantly reduced from the previous proposal.”
