The State has given a curt response to the announcement by the Land Court of Queensland that it recommended the mining leases and the environmental authority amendment application be granted to the new Acland Mine Stage 3, subject to conditions.

They had always said the legal process would be finished before any decision was made, Resources Minister Scott Stewart said.

“As a government, we will now thoroughly consider the recommendation from the Land Court of Queensland,” Mr Stewart said.

Meanwhile, the Queensland Resources Council (QRC) has welcomed the decision.

Related: New hope for New Acland Mine Stage 3

The initial development application was lodged by New Hope Group in 2007, said QRC chief executive Ian Macfarlane.

“New Hope’s Stage 3 expansion of the New Acland mine was approved for development by Queensland’s Coordinator General in 2014, but to get to this decision today it has taken seven long years of pointless lawfare – at great cost to the taxpayer, the company, and to all the employees who lost their jobs,” Mr Macfarlane said.

“This project had gone through all of the state regulatory channels and consultation processes, had been approved by the Coordinator General and was supported by the local community, but has been in limbo because of a small group of activists prepared to use any legal means to stop this project from proceeding.

“The QRC congratulates New Hope on its perseverance, and we look forward to seeing how the project progresses from here.

“Resources projects like this are the reason the Queensland economy and our job market have remained so strong during the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Related: Court orders fresh hearings over coal mine expansion

New Acland Mine general manager Dave O’Dwyer said the decision was an excellent result for New Hope Group, employees, their families and the mine’s supporters in the Darling Downs community.

“There are still a number of steps required to obtain final project approval for Stage 3,” Mr O’Dwyer said. 

“We will continue to work closely with the relevant Queensland Government departments to achieve these approvals, which would enable a restart of operations and employment opportunities for hundreds of local workers at the New Acland Mine, as well economic opportunities for the region more broadly.”

The High Court had referred an appeal by the Oakey Coal Action Alliance against the expansion back to Queensland’s Land Court.

Mining at New Acland wound up last month after a drawn-out legal battle to access further coal through the Stage 3 development.