Mining company Adani is putting pressure on the Queensland government to sign off on environmental approvals it needs to start digging a coal mine, telling locals it stands in the way of thousands of new jobs.
The company's groundwater management plan for the Carmichael project in the Galilee Basin was this week approved by Federal Environment Minister Melissa Price after science agencies said it stacked up.
But it's now up to Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk's government to sign off on two of the nine outstanding approvals before construction can begin.
These are the groundwater plan and another to manage the tiny and endangered black-throated finch.
The government has given the green light to the groundwater plan for Adani's Carmichael mine. Source: AAP
Ms Palaszczuk is travelling overseas on a trade mission and won't return until April 15.
In the meantime, Adani plans to lobby central Queensland households with a letter drop campaign calling for the state government to back the mine.
Queensland Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch says her department will consider whether the groundwater plan identifies the Doongmabulla Springs Complex as a water source, among other things.
Once construction starts a number of other approvals are needed before mining can begin.
Leeanne Enoch's environment department will need to sign off on Adani's groundwater plan. Source: AAP
Adani Mining chief executive Lucas Dow has welcomed the Morrison government's decision on Tuesday, but environmentalists and the Greens say they are appalled.
Environmental lobby group, Lock the Gate Alliance, wants the decision to be investigated.
Now, Adani plans to letter drop thousands of homes in the state's north, touting the number of jobs its project will create and challenging the state government on its approvals process.
It will tell residents it wants the Queensland government to get the project up and going so it can deliver thousands of jobs.
"Adani Mining has been through these planning and approvals processes for more than eight years now," Mr Dow told The Courier-Mail on Wednesday.
"We have been subject to nine legal challenges, all of which we have successfully won."
The project is an issue for both federal Labor and the LNP coalition because Queensland is one of the key states to win government.
Adani's proposed Carmichael mine is popular in the state's central and northern regions but it could cost votes in inner-city Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
