A last-ditch plea to the Queensland government to stop Clive Palmer building a coal mine at a nature reserve is likely to go unanswered.

Mr Palmer's Waratah Coal company has federal and state government approval to extract 40 million tonnes of thermal coal each year from a nature reserve in central Queensland.

Clive Palmer unveiled plans for the mine more than a decade ago. Credit:AAP

More than 2600 people have signed a petition asking the Palaszczuk government to step in and grant "one of the last few remaining forests in western Queensland" state-protected status.

In 2002, the Queensland government recognised the area as a nature refuge to protect birds, including the endangered black-throated finch, reptiles and other animals.