PERTH (miningweekly.com) – The Queensland Land Court on Tuesday ruled that the A$10-billion Alpha coal project should be given the go-ahead, but imposed a number of conditions.

In September last year, a farmers and community group, Coast and Country Association of Queensland, challenged the project in the Queensland Land Court, claiming it would irreversibly damage the environment and would contribute to climate change.

Farmers in the area also raised concerns about the project’s impact on the local water sources.

However, the Land Court on Tuesday recommended that a mining lease should be granted, subject to project developer GVK Hancock inserting three additional monitoring points, the miner seeking permission to use water in the region, and GVK Hancock entering into make-good agreements with affected parties who had initially launched the court proceedings.

The company has welcomed the court’s decision, saying that it would continue to work with land-holders and the local community to progress the project to a point where construction could start.

“Our projects will provide direct employment to around 7 500 people across the region, state and nation during construction and almost 4 000 once operational, contributing A$40-billion in taxes and royalties over the life of the mines,” the company said in a statement.

The Alpha coal mine will produce 32-million tonnes a year from an opencut operation over 30 years. The project holds a combined resource of eight-billion tonnes, and at peak capacity could produce 80-million tonnes a year.

The Queensland Resources Council noted that the Land Court’s decision to uphold government approvals for the Alpha coal project represented a milestone for Queensland’s economic future.

“This kind of economic development is a game changer for the central west in addressing a long-term decline in the region’s fortunes,” QRC CEO Michael Roche said.

Roche said the Land Court challenges were instigated by the "usual suspects" including anti-coal movement activists and a resident of Canberra.

“Genuine community concerns should and can be given voice at the Environmental Impact Statement stage of a project’s regulatory process, rather than resorting to expensive and long-winded Land Court objections at the end of the process,” he said.