Community & Business
26 October, 2023
Mine trains up and running
68 jobs have been created at Aurizon and QUBE after the first trainload of New Acland Stage 3 coal left the Jondaryan depot last week.
The trainload milestone comes a month after New Hope Group extracted first coal from the Queensland Government approved Stage 3 mining area and follows the Oakey Coal Action Alliance’s (OCAA) decision to withdraw its stay application, providing New Hope Group with certainty to progress New Acland Mine’s Stage 3 ramp-up plan.
New Acland Mine General Manager, Dave O’Dwyer said the departure of the first trainload of Stage 3 coal is a landmark moment for the site’s 100+ workers.
“The first trainload of Stage 3 coal was 16 years in the making and saw a 42-wagon train depart Jondaryan on Monday,” he said.
“It was another important milestone and ratifies the sustained efforts of so many workers, landholders, business owners and community leaders, who stood beside New Hope Group as we secured the necessary Stage 3 approvals from the Queensland Government.”
The first trainload of New Acland Mine coal in two years has created 68 indirect, local jobs (60 with Aurizon, eight with Qube).
Aurizon’s General Manager Operations Daniel Kadziela said the first trainload of coal was the first time in a few years that the company had used the Jondaryan loading point.
“We’re really excited to be partnering with New Hope in such a long term agreement,” he said.
“We’ve been able to create at least 60 jobs in Toowoomba and the regional areas and we’re really excited about the traineeships (that come) with the re-ignition of the Toowoomba depot.
QUBE Jondaryan’s Mark Beckman said he was hopeful that more progress would follow the milestone.
“It’s the culmination of waiting for Stage 3 approvals... seeing long-term staff come back to the operation and re-kindling (sic) those families back into the community,” he said.
“We’ve brought eight operators that have been working in Central Queensland and Toowoomba back (to site).
“With Stage 3 ramping up, we’re hopeful of being able to get those 80 workers (we had) back.”
