"There is a huge and growing movement of people who will fight this project right to the end," he said. Loading "If Adani thinks that they're going to get a free ride from this point, they've got another thing coming. "These are certainly decisions that are open to judicial review ... I think there is a real prospect that we will see groups bring legal challenges." Queensland Greens Senator Larissa Waters said the mine was subject to a "dodgy process that's been massively politicised".

"I expect that there will be several court challenges launched, against not only the finch plan, but also the groundwater management plan, and course we've seen overnight that there's likely to be another challenge to the pipeline approval process," she said. Loading Conversely, LNP leader Deb Frecklington welcomed the approval as an "enormous win for jobs for Queensland". "We need to open up the whole [Galilee] Basin, so my plan to open up the Galilee Basin will mean Queenslanders can reap the benefits for generations to come," she said. Ms Frecklington claimed there had been political interference in the decision-making around the Adani project "since day one".

However, Environment Minister Leeanne Enoch said the Department made its assessments and decisions free from political interference. Loading "Let me be clear - today's decision as per the Environmental Protection Act was not, and could not be made, by me or anyone else in the cabinet," she said. "It has been made by the regulator and is backed by expert advice." Ms Enoch said based on the scientific advice and legal opinion, the regulator was satisfied the groundwater plan sufficiently established the main source aquifer of the springs.

She said Adani submitted a new version of the groundwater plan on Wednesday. "In total, Adani has submitted updated versions of its groundwater plan to the regulator 12 times since 2016," she said. Federal Resources Minister Matt Canavan welcomed the announcement and said it was more than 50 years since a new coal basin had opened in Queensland. "The Queensland government must now help facilitate the other mines in the Galilee to get more jobs going before they can be trusted again by the Queensland people," he said. Under the approval of the groundwater plan, Adani will not be allowed to start underground mining until it fulfils several conditions, including reviewing its hydrological analysis after box cut mining starts.