A new coal mine has been approved for Queensland's Bowen Basin with little opposition.

Pembroke Resources has secured environmental approval for the Olive Downs coking coal project – a planned 25,000-hectare mine in central Queensland. But the approval comes with several conditions, including a $1 million contribution towards improving long-term conservation of koalas and greater gliders in the Bowen Basin.

Pembroke says the project will generate about $5.5 billion in royalties for the Queensland Government over the life of the mine.

Federal Environment Minister Sussan Ley says Pembroke will have to implement a comprehensive monitoring and management program for the ecological values of groundwater-dependent ecosystems.

The open-cut mine will have impacts over about 16,300 hectares.

Over 90 per cent of the Olive Downs mine’s output will be metallurgical coal, used for steelmaking.

Pembroke will contribute $100,000 each year for a decade to the new regional environmental fund, and must also maintain, restore, and preserve riparian koala and greater glider habitats.

Environmentalists say the mandated contributions are a pittance, as the mine “will destroy 6,000ha of koala habitat, it will have an impact over 41,000ha of potential agricultural land and it will affect 11 highly valued wetlands”, according to the Mackay Conservation Group.

Despite its significant size, the mine has been met with little opposition.

Michael Kane, a community organiser from the Mackay Conservation Group, says the lack of interest comes down to what was being mined at Olive Downs — metallurgical coal.

“The issue around thermal coal mines is we have the technology to move on beyond those, and thermal coal mines like Adani are opening up a brand new basin,” he said.

“It's a shame Pembroke and other companies see these propositions as good investments when they are simply just adding fuel to the fire of climate change.”

Pembroke chair and chief executive officer Barry Tudor said the project is now just one step away from construction.

“The next key milestone is securing the grant of the mining leases which will enable us to commence construction,” Mr Tudor said.

“We anticipate these to be granted in the coming months and look forward to construction and employment commencing shortly after this.”