Glencore showcases one of the largest coal rehabilitation projects in Australia
Media release
Mackay, Queensland
After 40 years of successful coal mining operations at Newlands, Glencore is progressing one of the largest coal rehabilitation projects in Australia.
Located 150km west of Mackay, Newlands was a large scale, high-quality thermal and steelmaking coal operation that began production in 1983. The Newlands coal complex produced about 229 million tonnes of product coal and contained 25 open cut pits, two underground mines and two coal preparation plants.
“For 40 years Newlands provided thousands of jobs and support for local businesses, the township of Glenden and contributed to government revenues through taxes and royalties”, says Nick Baillieu, project manager at Newlands.
In 2023, Newlands reached the end of its scheduled economic mine life and transitioned into the significant process of rehabilitation and closure.
“With this rehabilitation project, we aim to demonstrate that while mining operations have a temporary impact on the land, successful rehabilitation can return this land to productive pasture or high-quality native woodland,” says Mr Baillieu.
To demonstrate the size and scale of the project, Glencore has released a short documentary film, which shows the rehabilitation as well as the planning, budgeting and years-long execution it involves. “The documentary is an opportunity to celebrate our people, the same workers who made this coal mine a success are also now involved in its rehabilitation and closure. It’s important to acknowledge our people and pay tribute to all their hard work.” said Nick.
“Back to the bottle tree” features interviews with Newlands employees and footage of the work involved in the rehabilitation process.
In the last two years, Glencore spent more than A$330 million on rehabilitation at Newlands. To date, 614 hectares of rehabilitation have been certified by the Queensland Government – an acknowledgement that this rehab meets the standards agreed for its post-mining land use – with another 502 hectares going through the sign-off process.
“The scale of the project is enormous,” says Paul Keelin, senior environment and community advisor. “Newlands spans 15 mining leases covering over 32,000 hectares, which is more than 42,000 soccer fields. We’re pioneering. We’re groundbreaking. We’re leading the pack. In 20 or 30 years’ time, I just hope people remember there was actually a coal mine here.”
“Newlands was renowned for a can-do attitude,” says Stuart Clark, who managed the coal handling and preparation plant at Newlands. “This just proves, you can do the full circle. You can come in, take the resources that we need for everyday life and when it’s finished, it’s going to be used for cattle land, like it was prior to being mined.”
“If someone asked me how Newlands should be remembered, I would say it was a fantastic place to work,” says Mr Baillieu. “It had a 40 year mine life, extracted a resource that helped many people in their livelihoods and then gets returned to its previous land use in a socially and environmentally responsible way. This is the whole role of miners.”
The documentary is available to watch on Glencore Australia’s website.
For further information, please contact:
Francis De Rosa
m: +61 417 074 751
e: Francis De Rosa
Agata Graham
m: +61 438 304 345
e: Agata Graham
Elise Hawkins
m: +61 408 095 530
e: Elise Hawkins
Notes for editors
Additional information on rehabilitation at Newlands
In 2025, the team at Newlands rehabilitated 679 hectares and has a further 9,000 hectares to go. About 85% of the land under the Newlands mining lease will be returned to grazing, with the other 15% returned to native vegetation.
About Glencore in Australia
In Australia, Glencore produces coal, zinc, nickel, cobalt, lead and silver from 16 active mining operations. We also operate seven copper, zinc, lead, nickel and cobalt processing assets in Queensland, Western Australia and the Northern Territory, including concentrators, smelters and refineries.
We are among Australia’s largest producers and marketers of natural resources, connecting Australian resources with industrial customers around the world. Through our diverse portfolio, we responsibly supply the resources that advance everyday life.
In 2025 Glencore spent $19.3 billion operating in Australia, providing jobs for 16,820 people and making a significant socio-economic contribution across the country. This included spend of 14.21 billion with 6,440 businesses, as well as $2.4 billion in government tax and royalty payments.
We are committed to providing a safe, inclusive and respectful workplace for our people, to respecting the environment, to engaging openly and constructively with the Traditional Owners on whose lands we operate and to bringing value to local communities.
We will support the global effort to achieve the goals of the Paris Agreement through our efforts to decarbonise our own operational footprint. We believe that we should take a holistic approach and have considered our commitment through the lens of our global industrial emissions. For more information see our 2024-2026 Climate Action Transition Plan.
Learn more about Glencore Australia