Coal miner New Hope revealed on Monday that its subsidiary, New Acland Coal (NAC), is currently embroiled in legal action initiated by the Queensland Conservation Council. This action, initiated on Friday, alleges unlawful conduct specifically related to the historical mining activities at the 'West Pit', as highlighted by the company.

The Queensland Conservation Council is seeking penalty orders and other financial penalties against NAC in the Magistrates Court of Queensland. New Hope issued a statement affirming its intent to vigorously defend itself in these proceedings.

This legal move follows the recent establishment of the enforcement arm of the Queensland Conservation Council, functioning as an independent environmental protection agency. This arm operates autonomously from the Council itself.

The New Acland expansion project has been under intense scrutiny during its approval process for over a decade, enduring a series of court cases instigated by environmental groups.

NAC currently operates the existing New Acland coal mine, an open-cut coal mine producing 4.8 million tonnes annually, situated on mining leases 50170 and 50216. The mine's current reserves support operations until approximately 2017.

The proposed expansion aims to increase the annual output from 4.8 million tonnes to 7.5 million tonnes, extending the mine's operations beyond the current projected end date of 2017/18. This revised project, known as Stage 3 of the New Acland mine, outlines the extension of operations until roughly 2029. It involves the sequential development of two new resource areas covered by Mining Development License 244, also under ML application 50232.

These new areas, in conjunction with the existing operations, are expected to supply up to 7.5 million tonnes per year of saleable coal for both export and domestic markets until around 2029.