Environmental groups have claimed a victory against plans to expand coal shipments through a port on the Great Barrier Reef with major construction firm Lend Lease withdrawing from one of the terminal expansion projects.

Lend Lease's chief executive Steve McCann has confirmed that it had let its planned joint bid to build and finance the Abbot Point X coal terminal near Bowen on the central Queensland coast lapse after an internal review.

The Great Barrier Reef

Mr McCann said Lend Lease remained committed to applying “rigorous due diligence” and considering the environmental impacts of all it projects, without explaining the reason for dropping its joint bid with Aurizon.

Aurizon, formerly known as QR National, said through a spokeswoman that it is continuing “a dialogue with the government regarding the Abbot Point Expansion project”.