Three Queensland landowners have scored legal victory against mining giant Glencore Xstrata and the company has been asked to pay compensation to the landowners.

Xstrata Coal Queensland and its Japanese joint venture partners have now been ordered by the authorities to pay more than $30 million in compensation to landholders within a period of 30 days of the State Government granting mining leases for the Wandoan thermal coal project worth $7 billion.

The Land Court has awarded$11.38m to Cowan and Helen Keys by president Carmel MacDonald in Brisbane. The court awarded $11.338m to family trust Sky Grove Pty Ltd for the acquisition of the properties, AvonView and Langowan. John Erbacher is set to receive $10.77m for East Lynne and Tamara and Beef producers Thomas and Janice Edmonds, of Turraden are likely to receive about $8.31 million.

Landholders Services director George Houen, who represented the three landowners, said that it was a significant victory for the landowners as that stood firm against the mining company unlike other 35 landowners who simply sold their land to the company. 

The Wandoan thermal coal project has been in doubt after Glencore Xstrata shelved plans for $1 billion Balaclava Island coal export terminal near Gladstone in the previous month.