Activists win High Court appeal against Queensland’s New Acland coal mine
Drought-stricken farmers have won the latest battle in a 13-year war to stop the expansion of a coal mine in southern Queensland.
An activist group made up of dozens of farmers won a High Court appeal on Wednesday against the New Acland coal mine in Queensland’s Darling Downs.
Farmers Frank and Lynn Ashman at their property near the Acland mine. Frank is a leading objector to the expansion.Credit:Environmental Defenders Office Qld/ Renate Hottmann-Schaefer
The High Court set aside previous orders made by the Court of Appeal in Queensland’s Supreme Court in November 2019.
It also ruled the application by the protest group, Oakey Coal Action Alliance, should be referred back to the Land Court of Queensland to be reconsidered.
The New Hope energy company has spent 13 years trying to expand the Acland Coal Mine into agricultural land near Oakey, about 130 kilometres west of Brisbane.
New Hope Group’s New Acland coal mine had hoped the High Court decision would clear the way for the state government to grant final approvals for the expansion.
Farmers from the Oakey Coal Action Alliance who have been battling the expansion “are relieved and excited” after the High Court of Australia found in their favour.
“We hope that we can win from here on in and get the mine stopped, so we can save our water and land, and leave it for future generations,” president and alpaca farmer Aileen Harrison said.
About 200 jobs have been lost while the issue has been tied up in the courts and approvals have stalled.
The long-running dispute over whether to expand the mine included a public spat between former Premier Campbell Newman and conservative broadcaster Alan Jones which led to a defamation suit.
Toby Crockford is a breaking news reporter at the Brisbane Times
Lydia Lynch is Queensland political reporter for the Brisbane Times