Advice to decision maker on coal mining project IESC 2016-081: New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 (EPBC 2007/3423) Expansion – Requesting The Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy agency Date of request 2 November 2016 Date request 2 November 2016 accepted Advice stage Assessment Context The Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development (the IESC) was requested by the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy to provide advice on the New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 project (the proposed project) in Queensland. The IESC has provided advice to the former Commonwealth Department of the Environment and the Queensland Office of the Coordinator-General on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 project, EPBC 2007/3423 (IESC 2014-045 dated 10 April 2014). On 10 December 2015, the IESC provided additional advice to the former Commonwealth Department of the Environment on residual matters from the proponent’s Additional Information to the Environmental Impact Statement (AEIS) for the proposed New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 project, EPBC 2007/3423 (IESC 2015-073). Both pieces of advice are available on the IESC to regulators on development proposals’ website at ‘Advice This advice draws upon aspects of information on the New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 project within the assessment documentation and documents provided to the IESC between 10 December 2015 and 8 December 2016, together with the expert deliberations of the IESC. The project documentation and information accessed by the IESC, including additional information provided by the proponent, are listed in the source documentation at the end of this advice. The proposed project is to expand the New Acland Coal Mine located approximately 35 km northwest of Toowoomba, extending the mining period by up to 12 years. The proposed project is located in the Lagoon Creek Catchment and the Clarence-Moreton Basin of Queensland. Lagoon Creek is an ephemeral creek that flows into Oakey Creek, which is part of the larger Condamine River Catchment of the Murray-Darling Basin. The proposed project would involve creation of three open cut pits to increase production of coal from the Walloon Coal Measures from 4.8 Mtpa to 7.5 Mtpa of thermal product coal. Ancillary infrastructure development is proposed to include upgrading the existing coal
Advice to decision maker on coal mining project IESC 2016-081: New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 (EPBC 2007/3423) – Expansion Requesting agency The Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy Date of request 2 November 2016 Date request accepted 2 November 2016 Advice stage Assessment Context The Independent Expert Scientific Committee on Coal Seam Gas and Large Coal Mining Development (the IESC) was requested by the Australian Government Department of the Environment and Energy to provide advice on the New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 project (the proposed project) in Queensland. The IESC has provided advice to the former Commonwealth Department of the Environment and the Queensland Office of the Coordinator-General on the draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the proposed New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 project, EPBC 2007/3423 (IESC 2014-045 dated 10 April 2014). On 10 December 2015, the IESC provided additional advice to the former Commonwealth Department of the Environment on residual matters from the proponent’s Additional Information to the Environmental Impact Statement (AEIS) for the proposed New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 project, EPBC 2007/3423 (IESC 2015-073). Both pieces of advice are available on the IESC ‘Advice to regulators on development proposals’ website at This advice draws upon aspects of information on the New Acland Coal Mine Stage 3 project within the assessment documentation and documents provided to the IESC between 10 December 2015 and 8 December 2016, together with the expert deliberations of the IESC. The project documentation and information accessed by the IESC, including additional information provided by the proponent, are listed in the source documentation at the end of this advice. The proposed project is to expand the New Acland Coal Mine located approximately 35 km northwest of Toowoomba, extending the mining period by up to 12 years. The proposed project is located in the Lagoon Creek Catchment and the Clarence-Moreton Basin of Queensland. Lagoon Creek is an ephemeral creek that flows into Oakey Creek, which is part of the larger Condamine River Catchment of the Murray-Darling Basin. The proposed project would involve creation of three open cut pits to increase production of coal from the Walloon Coal Measures from 4.8 Mtpa to 7.5 Mtpa of thermal product coal. Ancillary infrastructure development is proposed to include upgrading the existing coal
iesc-advice-new-acland-2016-081.docx