Environment and Heritage Protection Minister Andrew Powell said his department approved Arrow’s project on Monday.

He said the project would not harm the environment beyond acceptable impacts as long as Arrow committed to fully respecting its environmental impact statement.

“The department considered the EIS documentation, as well as public submissions, before deciding it was satisfied the environmental impacts of the pipeline would not be unacceptable,” Powell said.

The $1 billion project will involve the construction and operation of a 580kms high-pressure gas pipeline to deliver coal seam gas from gas fields in the Bowen Basin to a proposed LNG plant in Gladstone.

It is expected 700 workers will be needed to build and work around the buried pipeline, which will cross private land, roads, railway lines, watercourses and wetlands.

Arrow Energy CEO Andrew Faulkner said the state government approval was another important milestone for the project after the Arrow Surat Pipeline was approved in 2010.

“This is welcome news for our overall project and demonstrates we’re meeting the

rigorous government approvals process,” Faulkner said.