Qld pushes for Galilee mines' approval QUEENSLAND Premier Campbell Newman says the federal government is standing in the way of thousands of jobs and billions of dollars worth of mining investment. He wants Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to step in to speed approvals for Galilee projects in central Queensland. I say to him (prime minister Kevin Rudd) to get out of the way of the Galilee coal projects, get the new minister Mark Butler to approve these projects so we can create thousands of jobs and billions of dollars of investment to this state right now. The Galilee Basin is one of the nation's largest undeveloped coal deposits. The Hancock Galilee company is proposing two open-cut and three underground mines northwest of Alpha, as well as accommodation for 2000 workers and an airport. The $4.2 billion project was signed off by the state's coordinator-general earlier this year but still requires federal government approval.