Community & Business
24 January, 2025
Shadow Minister praises New Acland mine decision
The Shadow Minister for Resources, Senator Susan McDonald believes the decision by OCAA to withdraw its appeal against the decision to grant an Associated Water Licence to New Acland Mine Stage 3, is a victory for common sense.
Senator McDonald has praised coal miner New Hope for weathering a now-abandoned legal storm brought on by the taxpayer-funded Environmental Defenders Office (EDO).
The Queensland Senator said the New Acland coal mine near Oakey had passed numerous environmental checks and endured a decade of delays as New Hope tried to expand operations.
“The Albanese Labor Government has created toxic conditions for mining investment in this country with lengthy delays for approvals, anti-mining language and providing taxpayer funding to the EDO which emboldens activists to disrupt mining operations that have already passed some of the world’s most stringent environmental and regulatory processes,” she said.
“We should be supplying the world with our high-calorific, efficient coal but miners are being discouraged by Labor’s industrial relations, environmental and taxation laws.
“A Liberal National Coalition Government will halve approval times for new coal and gas ventures and we will defund the EDO.
“Coal and gas extraction benefits all Australians through royalties and taxes, and provides stable, good-paying jobs for thousands of people,” Senator McDonald said.
“Australia cannot afford another three years of a government that is strangling our most valuable industry.”
