<span class="" id="parent-fieldname-description"> Clive Palmerâs $6.4bn Galilee Coal Project has received approval from Queenslandâs coordinator-general. The project includes building a 453km standard gauge rail line from mines in the Galilee basin to the port of Abbot Point. </span> <p>Queensland’s coordinator-general gave the project the stamp of approval, subject to some strict development and operating conditions, but none of those conditions seek to change the project or its key components in any dramatic way.</p><p>The Galilee Coal Project is expected to produce 56 million tonnes of raw coal each year, which will be refined at an average yield of 72%, to create 40 million tonnes of thermal coal – suitable for export – each year.</p><p>Palmer’s Galilee mine sites are 35km north-west of Alpha, and around 450km west of the port at Rockhampton, on Queensland’s coastline.</p><p>Exporting minesites are not often found so far inland, but the promise of 40 million tonnes per annum, coupled with the (until recently) increasing coal prices, led to the development of the Galilee Coal Project.</p><p>If Palmer’s company, Waratah Coal, goes ahead with the project, it could create 3500 construction jobs and more than 2300 jobs while in operation.</p><p>Queensland’s coordinator general, Barry Broe, said the release of his evaluation report, including the conditional approval of the project, came after more than four years of rigorous environmental assessment and public consultation.</p><p>“I have stated a significant number of conditions and recommendations in my report that the proponent must implement fully,” Broe said.</p><p>“The conditions establish clear principles and procedures to manage matters including surface and groundwater impacts, rail line flooding, and social impacts.”</p>
