SYDNEY, Dec. 6 (Xinhua) -- Indian energy giant Adani has obtained final approval for what is set to be Australia's largest coal mine, local media reported Monday.
The Queensland and federal authorities have given the green light for a rail line stretching about 30 km and a temporary 300-bed construction camp for the state's Carmichael mine, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported.
A "minimum number of between 2,000 and 4,000" are being employed for the project, Queensland's State Development Minister Anthony Lynham said on Monday.
The approvals set the 21.7 billion Australian dollars (15.6 billion U.S. dollars) coal and rail project on track for construction to begin next year, AAP reported.
Environmental groups were set to protest against the project at a scheduled meeting between Adani Group chairman Gautam Adani and Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Melbourne on Monday.
Minister for Resources and Northern Australia Matt Canavan told the Australian Broadcasting Corporation On Monday that the development was good for the environment.
"Providing India with its energy needs from Australian coal is good for the environment, because it burns at a higher rate and produces less emissions per kilowatt-hour," AAP cited the minister as saying.
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