Gina Rinehart’s $6.4 billion Alpha coal mine faces delays after federal Environment Minister Tony Burke announced he was ‘‘stopping the clock’’ on the project’s environmental approval, accusing the Queensland government of sabotaging the process.

In a fiery press conference this morning, Mr Burke said he no longer trusted Campbell Newman’s government to carry out a proper environmental assessment of the mega-mine in the Galilee Basin.

Tony Burke. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

The scathing attack follows a week of brawling over what Mr Burke branded Queensland’s ‘‘seriously deficient’’ environmental assessment of the project.

‘‘I don’t have the level of trust in the Queensland government which I wish I had,’’ Mr Burke said.