A lobby group will ramp up the fight in response to New Hope Group's claims its mine expansion in Queensland's Darling Downs is ready for the 'green light'.
Mine manager Dave O'Dwyer said the report had given him confidence the project would move forward.
"The Coordinator General has looked across all the things that were talked about in the Land Court and pulled that all together, so it really develops a framework for the EA [environmental assessment]," he said. Mr O'Dwyer said it was the "first step, first domino, ready to fall and the rest should should come along after".Late last year, the mine ran out of coal and was forced to let go most of its remaining workers and go into caretaker mode.But Paul King from the Oakey Coal Action Alliance said the process was not that simple and the implications for groundwater for nearby farmers had not been considered enough in the land court process.
Without the associated water licence, New Acland cannot interfere with groundwater and therefore cannot mine coal. "We're absolutely prepared to defend the water rights of the farmers in that district, absolutely prepared for that," Mr King said.Mr O'Dwyer said the mine was committed to not taking groundwater and was confident it could meet the requirements for the water assessment process.The planned expansion has been the subject of legal battles for well over a decade, with the OCAA comprising more than 60 local landholders opposing the project.
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