Farmers to challenge Rinehart coal mine

Environmentalists are going to court to fight against Gina Rinehart's proposed central Queensland coal mine.

The state's land court ruled last year that it wasn't in the public interest to approve the Alpha Coal Project in the Galilee Basin because of the impact on groundwater.

The court recommended the government reject the proposal outright or approve it only with stringent water conditions.

However, the state government ignored the court's recommendation and granted an environmental authority for the mine.

A lease is yet to be issued.

Conservation group Coast and Country is taking GVK Hancock to the Supreme Court in Brisbane on Wednesday to seek a judicial review, where it will argue the Land Court should have recommended the 30 million tonne-per year mine be rejected outright.

They will also seek a ruling that the environmental authority for the mine issued by the government is not valid as it depended on a flawed recommendation of the land court.

The Alpha Coal Project is a joint venture between Gina Rinehart's Hancock Coal and Indian company GVK.

The mine would be among Australia's largest, with a lease area of more than 60,000 hectares.