The Queensland government has approved mining leases for a controversial coal mine on the Darling Downs.
New Hope Group has campaigned for the expansion of the New Acland mine, known as stage three, for more than a decade.
On Friday, Queensland Resource Minister Scott Stewart issued a two-line media release, which stated "after careful consideration" he had "approved the mining leases for stage three of the New Acland project".
"The project also requires an associated water licence from the Department of Regional Development, Manufacturing and Water."
New Acland is an open-cut thermal coal mine about 10 kilometres from the town of Oakey, north-west of Toowoomba.
New Hope had sought approval to expand the mine's production to up to 7.5 million tonnes per annum for another 12 years.
The mining company has welcomed the "long-awaited news".
"New Hope and the local communities around Acland and Oakey are now only one step away from restarting the New Acland mine where there has been mining activity for over 100 years," company chair Robert Millner said in a statement to the ASX.
Mining at the New Acland site stopped on November 26, 2021.
The mine is situated close to farming land.
Residents have fought the expansion on environmental grounds in the Queensland Land Court.
"It's against the spirit of the times," Paul King, from the Oakey Coal Action Alliance, said.
"And it's against the message that the electorate sent the government very firmly at the last federal election.
"We need to make sure that we as a community look after our land … These things are not served by Acland stage three going ahead."
