A future Coalition government would hand powers to approve major projects such as mines and ports under national environment law to the states.

Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said in a statement the Coalition would implement a "one stop shop" for environmental approvals that would be run by state governments.

Tony Abbott says a Coalition government would give states powers to approve major projects under environment law. Credit:Photolibrary

The move will outrage environmentalists who have been campaigning heavily against similar plans floated by Labor last year before it changed its mind and dumped the proposal.

Green groups point to the recent environmental record of Coalition-led state governments in Victoria, NSW and Queensland – including grazing and shooting plans for national parks – as evidence to retain Commonwealth oversight.