New Acland Coal associated water licence granted with strict conditions

The decision was based on a comprehensive review of the application and supporting information, against the requirements of the Water Act 2000.

The department considered matters such as public submissions, potential impacts to existing water users and the management of impacts on underground water before granting the associated water licence with strict conditions.

An updated groundwater model was used to assess potential impacts.

Among the conditions imposed are requirements to:

• offset the take of underground water that is impacted by the mining activities, by surrendering equivalent water entitlements
• manage the impacts on aquifers and groundwater users
• implement an underground water monitoring program to track any impacts that may occur
• publish the volume of underground water taken
• periodically review and update the numerical underground water model to incorporate the latest data.

The associated water licence and conditions can be viewed in detail, on the Business Queensland website.

In December 2021, Queensland’s Land Court recommended the granting of the mining leases and issuing of a draft amended Environmental Authority for the Stage 3 development, subject to certain conditions being met.

The associated water licence application could not be decided until the environmental authority and mining leases were approved by the Department of Environment and Science and the Minister for Resources, respectively, and these were recently approved.

-ENDS-

MEDIA: Felicity Moore - media@rdmw.qld.gov.au
Mobile: 0457 228 028
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