Revisions to the New Acland Expansion project have been welcomed by the Queensland state government.
New Hope Coal has put forward plans for a smaller scale expansion of its mine on the Darling Downs, which will have less of an impact on agricultural land and the residents of neighbouring areas.
Jeff Seeney, minister for state development, infrastructure and planning, acknowledged that there are still likely to be concerns over the project.
“We are also conscious that direct and indirect jobs rest on decisions about the mine as does the significant economic contribution it provides to the region,” he noted.
Aside from the jobs in Queensland the proposal could provide, there is also potential for mining apprenticeships to be offered to people in the local area hoping to enter the resources industry.
Interested parties now have an eight-week period in which they can comment on the revised plans.
Latest figures show that employment throughout Australia remains strong, especially in the resources sector and related industries.
In October, 18,700 new full-time jobs were created, taking the employment total to 11.5 million, even in light of continuing financial problems on the global stage.
