Acland coal mine: Farmers silenced by agreements, Oakey Coal Action Alliance says

The company behind the New Acland coal mine on Queensland's Darling Downs is silencing nearby farmers with confidentiality clauses in signed agreements, an environmentalist says.

The New Acland mine produces about
 4.8 million tonnes of coal annually.

The Oakey Coal Action Alliance (OCAA) is using the Queensland Land Court to challenge an expansion of the mine to increase annual output, from 4.8 million to 7.5 million tonnes of thermal coal, across three new open-cut pits.

New Hope Coal plans to expand the mine onto 3,668 hectares of agricultural land — before it is expected to run out of coal this year.

OCAA secretary Paul King said New Hope had hired a consultant to negotiate "make good arrangements" to protect landholders surrounding the proposed stage three expansion.

"Those make good agreements they're insisting [on] have confidentiality clauses in them and we don't think that's fair," he said.

Read the ABC Rural story - “Acland coal mine: Farmers silenced by agreements, Oakey Coal Action Alliance says.”

Acland coal mine: Closing submissions as farmers fear groundwater loss

The expansion of the Acland coal mine puts groundwater in one of Queensland's most fertile regions at risk, farmers have said, ahead of closing submissions in their Land Court battle.

The Oakey Coal Action Alliance has spent the last seven months fighting stage three of New Hope's mine.

Opponents claim air quality will worsen and the expansion would swallow up nearly 1,400 hectares of strategic cropping land and cause groundwater to drop by almost 50 metres in some places.

The mine, west of Brisbane, is said to run out of coal early next year and unless stage three is approved, hundreds of jobs will be lost.

Read the ABC story - “Acland coal mine: Closing submissions as farmers fear groundwater loss.”