Stop Acland legal fight roundabout
Even the legal fraternity is getting sick of the long-running battle by greenies to stop the New Acland Coal expansion going ahead and employing hundreds of locals.
When the latest chapter in the 15year legal fight over the mine was being fought back in April last year, Land Court Member Peta Stilgoe appeared to show her frustration in rejecting an application for costs by the Oakey Coal Action Alliance (OCAA).
“Every saga has an end,” she said in the very first sentence of her judgment.
“Hopefully this decision will be the end of the long running New Acland dispute.”
Unfortunately, her optimism was misplaced with the OCAA this week challenging the State Government’s approval of the water licence in the very same Land Court.
Again the litigation will see taxpayer money versus taxpayer money being funnelled into the action, with the OCAA being represented by the publicly funded Environmental Defenders Office.
In your diarist’s opinion, it’s high time the State Government legislated to ensure the project does not in the words of Queensland Resources Council boss Ian Macfarlane become “a never-ending roundabout.”
There is precedence for such action. In 2007, the then Bligh Government legislated to guarantee operations at Xstrata’s Wollombi operations near Moranbah after legal action by green groups threatened to stall the mine’s development.
QRC’s Mr Macfarlane has long argued the government needs to have faith in its own processes and not be held to ransom by minority activist groups.
“No resources project in Queensland history has been more scrutinised or assessed than New Acland Stage 3,” Mr Macfarlane said last year.
“New Hope Group, its workers and the local community have been stuck on a never-ending roundabout.”