{"id":243902,"date":"2019-09-10T21:40:36","date_gmt":"2019-09-10T11:40:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/?p=243902"},"modified":"2020-07-17T17:26:38","modified_gmt":"2020-07-17T07:26:38","slug":"acland-sent-back-to-land-court","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/southburnett.com.au\/news2\/2019\/09\/10\/acland-sent-back-to-land-court\/","title":{"rendered":"Acland Sent Back To Land Court"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Oakey Coal Action Alliance’s applications have been referred back to the Land Court
(Photo: New Hope)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

September 10, 2019<\/strong><\/p>\n

The issue of groundwater and the proposed New Acland Stage 3 coal mine expansion are back to square one following the release on Tuesday of a judgment by the Queensland Court of Appeal.<\/p>\n

The judgment,\u00a0ruling against an appeal by the anti-mine Oakey Coal Action Alliance (OCAA), is the latest in a string of complicated court proceedings linked to the New Acland mine that date back to 2016.<\/p>\n

Matters canvassed in the latest judgment include the apprehension of bias in the original Land Court decision and jurisdictional issues linked to groundwater.<\/p>\n

All applications by the OCCA have now been referred back to the Land Court to be reheard.<\/p>\n

OCCA was ordered to pay New Acland Coal’s appeal costs.<\/p>\n

A statement by New Hope – the parent company of New Acland Coal – released after the judgment said the company was pleased with the outcome.<\/strong><\/p>\n

“(The company) will wait for the Court to make its final orders before assessing the next steps for the New Acland Stage 3 project,” the statement said.<\/p>\n

“New Hope remains committed to delivering the New Acland Stage 3 project in a timely manner to ensure continuity of operations and ongoing employment in the region.”<\/p>\n

OCCA secretary Paul King said the case would now have to be reheard in its entirety.<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a very difficult outcome for local farmers who have lived with this threat for 10 long years and now face more uncertainty,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe farming land around Oakey is classed in the top 1.5 per cent in Queensland. It is madness that it should be destroyed for the sake of a temporary coal mine.\u201d<\/p>\n

Earlier on Tuesday, New Hope Corporation requested a trading halt on the ASX until Thursday morning.<\/p>\n