Tonnes sold for the six months to January 2021 dropped 23% to 4.9 million tonnes.             

New Hope CEO Reinhold Schmidt said the company had enjoyed good results from targeted cost reduction and an increased focus on efficiency across corporate and operations during the first six months of the 2021 financial year.

"Bengalla continues to perform strongly for the business and although production was down slightly in the first half due to the major dragline shut, it was above expectations," he said.

"The investment in the dragline has delivered continued improvement in productivity to ensure a strong performance into the future."

Schmidt said while it has been a tough period for the resources sector as a whole, the company had set the foundation for a strong second half of the year.

"The focus moving forward is to increase annual production [of Bengalla] to the approved permitted capacity of the operation whilst maintaining safety and cost efficiencies," he said.

"Our commitment to safety across the business has ensured the TRIFR [total recordable injury frequency rate] has remained below five per 1 million hours worked, well below the open-cut mining industry average of 6.3."

Schmidt said the continued uncertainty around approvals for New Acland Stage 3 was impacting on the broader business.

"Redundancies continue as a result of nearing final Stage 2 coal at New Acland," he

said.

"With the High Court of Australia ordering New Acland back to the Land Court of Queensland in the first quarter of FY22, and the prospect of the project being placed in care and maintenance, a further impairment of the asset has been accounted for in the half year results.

"Despite the ongoing delays, brought about by a handful of vocal activists, the company remains committed to push for the approval of Stage 3."

Schmidt said the company's future remained positive, with continued demand for its product and positive movements in the coal price.

"Continued strong cost management across the business will see results improve throughout the second half of the financial year," he said.

"Our focus for the future remains on safe and efficient production at existing operations and a commitment to maintaining long term relationships with our suppliers and customers."

Schimdt said the Newcastle 6000 index had recovered from the lows in 2020 of US$50 to the present level in excess of US$90.