New Hope Group’s New Acland coal mine has received recognition from the Queensland Government for having the single largest area of certified rehabilitation of any open cut coal mine in the state.
The company has rehabilitated 349 hectares of land at New Acland.
New Hope managing director Shane Stephan congratulated his environmental team for achieving the feat.
“I’m proud to say that this is the largest single area of certified rehabilitation for an open cut coal mine in the state,” he said.
“To put the size of the area in context for those who haven’t seen our operation at New Acland, this certification covers an area of around 300 Suncorp Stadiums.
“And the majority of it already has cattle grazing on it — right up against mining operations.”
Rehabilitated mine land is handed over to Acland Pastoral Company (APC), which acts as custodian of the land.
Expansion plans at New Acland are in the works. In May, the Supreme Court in Brisbane overturned a Land Court ruling from 2017 citing concerns from local landowners with regards to social and environmental impacts that could result from the works.
The court’s decision could potentially save 700 jobs at the site and extend the mine’s life from 2020 to 2031 should the expansion be successful.