Adani has set aside a “conservation area” for the endangered black-throated finch at the same site earmarked for the massive Clive Palmer-backed Alpha North coalmine.

The environmental group Lock the Gate said the land-use conflict meant the Adani plan to protect the black-throated finch – which is one of two crucial management plans for the Carmichael mine yet to be approved by the Queensland government – amounted to an “elaborate hoax”.

But Adani’s response suggested the Indian company could seek to block elements of the neighbouring Alpha North coalmine, or prompt a court battle, to safeguard its own project.

“We will not allow the conservation area for the black-throated finch to be compromised,” Adani said in a statement to Guardian Australia.

Adani owns the relevant pastoral land – effectively the property at surface level. Palmer’s Waratah Coal has several exploration permits for the coal resource underneath, and has applied for a mining lease.

The Waratah Coal plan for Alpha North includes a series of open-cut and underground mines, planned to produce 80m tonnes of coal a year from two separate areas. A 20,000ha section Adani plans to use for a conservation area roughly corresponds to Alpha North plans for four longwall underground mines.

In applications, Waratah Coal has acknowledged that Alpha North could cause subsidence, and could affect black-throated finch habitat and watercourses.

The bird is endangered and researchers have previously said the Adani Carmichael mine’s offset strategy would be “grossly inadequate” to protect it.

Waratah Coal requires permission from pastoral land holders, including Adani, before being granted a mining lease. If there is a dispute, the matter goes before the Queensland land court.

Carmel Flint from Lock the Gate, which has a history of advocating for pastoral land owners in conflict with miners, said the land court “would do little to stop Waratah Coal from mining the area”.

“Mining licences trump pastoral leases completely under the law in Queensland,” Flint said. “As a result, this so-called ‘conservation area’ that Adani has allocated to the black-throated finch is utterly meaningless. It’s an elaborate hoax they’ve devised to enable them to start the Carmichael project, knowing full well that the area is likely to be mined in the future.”

The Queensland government has not yet approved Adani’s black-throated finch management plan, which includes 33,000ha of private protected land for the finch and other native species. About 60% of the conservation offset is on land covered by the Alpha North exploration permit and lease application.

Adani said in its statement it would not allow the conservation area to be compromised “as it is a condition of the approvals for the Carmichael mine and lies on pastoral lease owned by Adani”.

“A mining lease has not been granted for the Alpha North project and that project is yet to begin the required lengthy and rigorous approvals process.”

Adani has sought to characterise its outstanding management plan approvals as routine. It released a statement four days before Christmas accusing the Queensland government of “blocking” the delivery of jobs by not finalising the outstanding management plans.

Alongside the black-throated finch plan, Adani needs approval for a groundwater dependent ecosystems management plan. The ABC reported this month the CSIRO had raised concerns about the groundwater plan.

Waratah Coal was contacted for comment.