We own agricultural operations on the land surrounding our coal mines, to support productive and enhanced land use, and contribute to the regional agribusiness industries.
These productive businesses also act as a physical separation, to provide a buffer from our operations for our near neighbours. These complementary businesses deepen our connection with our communities, provide additional local employment opportunities and enhances land management and use.
Acland Pastoral Company is a farming, grazing and land management enterprise located north-west of Oakey in Queensland, operating adjacent to our New Acland Mine since 2006.
We manage more than 9,000 hectares of land, including for dryland cropping, irrigated cropping and cattle grazing. We also run cattle on rehabilitated areas of the mine and undertake monitoring to understand rehabilitation and grazing outcomes.
Bengalla Agricultural Company is a cattle grazing, dairy farming, and dryland and irrigated cropping operation on 1,100 hectares of land adjacent to Bengalla Mine, near Muswellbrook in New South Wales.
Since New Hope Group acquired a controlling interest in Bengalla Mine in 2018, we have undertaken significant work to re-establish and replace infrastructure, renovate the pasture and crop lands, and increase breeder numbers – including through a partnership with Acland Pastoral Company.
Where possible, we undertake commercial-scale agricultural activity on previously mined land. We are confident in the environmental, social and economic benefits of this approach, given the results of a five-year cattle grazing trial on rehabilitated land at New Acland completed in FY18.
The study was conducted by independent livestock consultants and experts from the University of Southern Queensland, and involved grazing two herds of cattle: one on rehabilitated mining land and one on a comparable non-mined paddock in the local area.
The results showed our rehabilitated land was a stable, safe environment for grazing with productivity at least as good as equivalent pastures on unmined land. In particular, the study found rehabilitated land to be as productive for pasture growth and beef production, and had equal or greater economic returns in terms of the sale price of cattle for human consumption.
If you have any questions or concerns related to our agricultural operations, please contact us on (07) 3418 0500.
