Community & Business
2 December, 2025
Full steam ahead for NAC
With legal battles over its New Acland Stage 3 project now over, New Hope Group says it is now looking forward to 10 years of uninterrupted business, with the potential for more post Stage 3 if there is community and legislative support.
The company executives were in town last week for New Hope’s Annual General Meeting, where they visited the mine-site and caught up with local residents and shareholders.
The AGM was the first of its kind held in Oakey since COVID.
New Acland is currently operating 24 hours a day, seven days a week, and over 300 permanent staff now live locally.
In the 2024-25 year, the mine increased its saleable coal production from one million tonnes to 2.8 million tonnes in the 2025 financial year, tracking towards a steady-state target of 5 million tonnes annually.
New Hope’s Chief Executive Officer Rob Bishop said things were looking up for the company, its shareholders and the community after years of legal delays.
At the Annual General Meeting, held at Oakey RSL, Mr Bishop told shareholders that a below-par 2023-24 injury report, caused by the large number of first-time workers at the Mine, had been turned around in the 2024-25 financial year.
“Both safety measures moved in the right direction, with the All-Injury Frequency Rate improving by 10 per cent, and the Total Recordable Injury Frequency Rate improving by 35 per cent,” Mr Bishop said.
“Safety is our number one priority at New Hope.
“It is pleasing to see the positive impact of our continued safety efforts and initiatives during the year.”
Speaking to the Champion post-meeting, Mr Bishop said the company was on schedule to deliver the Stage 3 project.
When asked about plans post Stage 3, he said the company would, without question, be open to continuing operations in the district if there was support from community and government.
In an era, where Australia is investing heavily into cleaner energy, Mr Bishop said New Hope is investigating the potential of a large-scale renewable energy precinct at New Acland, including wind, solar and pumped hydro, and would be launching a feasibility study this coming year.
After his visit to the minesite, New Hope Group Chairperson Robert Millner AO told the AGM it was pleasing to see a large increase in activity at NAC since the Board’s last visit.
“It is a pleasure to be hosting the AGM here in Oakey this year,” he said.
“In just the last 12 months, more than 140 new staff have joined the New Acland team and contributed to New Hope’s increased production and strong performance for the 2025 financial year.”
Mr Millner said New Hope’s strategy of responsibly and efficiently operating low-cost, long-life assets, reflects a belief that the demand for Australian thermal coal will continue over coming years.
“We expect the forward-looking pricing environment to be underpinned by a structural shortfall in supply due to the ageing of existing thermal coal assets and underinvestment in new projects,” Mr Millner said.
Echoing his comments, Mr Bishop said the company’s strategy is underpinned by the belief that demand for Australian thermal coal will continue to play a vital role in providing reliable and secure global energy supply.
“Whilst we expect the share of coal used for global power generation to reduce over time, the sheer increase in global power demand will continue to sustain seaborne thermal coal exports into the future,” Mr Bishop said.
Regarding local environmental concerns about the Mine’s activities, Oakey Coal Action Alliance (OCAA) Secretary Paul King said the group was continuing to monitor the Mine’s activities.
“We’re looking at what else we can do to protect water and soil of our district,” he said.
