"When this government came to power in early 2015, it is fair to say that there was a long way to go with the approvals that Adani needed before they could start construction. "Since then, 22 key Commonwealth, State and local government approvals have been granted to Adani's mine, rail and port facilities and there have been 29 key milestones reached," he said. Lynham stated that Adani has now obtained all the necessary primary approvals for its mine, rail and port project including the important mining leases. "At a state-level, the only key approvals remaining are water licenses and Adani is actively working on those with my Department of Natural Resources and Mines. "I know that regional communities particularly will welcome the advice from Adani that construction of the project is set to begin in 2017," he said. Lynham said the progress on the project had been achieved while protecting the Great Barrier Reef and meeting Queensland and Commonwealth environmental impact assessment requirements.