Paola Cassoni arrived by train in the nation's capital yesterday ahead of a meeting with federal Environment Minister Tony Burke.

At the heart of her complaint was Waratah Coal's plan to excavate her site.

The mine would export 40 million tonnes of thermal coal from the proposed mine, worth about $4.6 billion a year to the company.

In addition, the state and federal governments could pocket about $1 billion in royalties and thousands of jobs could be generated in the central Queensland town of Alpha.

However, Ms Cassoni's Bimblebox Nature Refuge, recognised by state and federal governments, sits in the middle of the proposed mine.

It has large stands of silver-leaf ironbark, with populations of black-throated finch, classed as "vulnerable" by the Queensland Government.

Ms Cassoni said the state government was well aware of the nature reserve and former premier Peter Beattie visited the refuge when he announced the moratorium on tree clearing.

Now, Ms Cassoni said she would fight to preserve her voluntary nature reserve.

"In 2007, they put the first news out that the nature refuge was under the exploration permit," she said.

"We looked at it and thought, 'yep, we're right in the middle of it', but back then it was only an exploration permit.

"So we started to write in to the ministers - both federal and state - and let them know we might be under some threat here ... [and] we are not happy with that."

The federal government paid more than $300,000 to help buy the property, on the condition that it was preserved in perpetuity, according to the Capricorn Conservation Council.

Federal Environment Minister Tony Burke yesterday acknowledged there had been "community concern" about the project.

"This proposal is being assessed under national environment law, which is a thorough and comprehensive process," he said.

State Environment Minister Vicky Darling said mining was allowed in nature refuges under Queensland legislation, but had to be considered on an individual basis.

“The conservation values of nature refuges are well documented and are given serious consideration as part of the assessment of any proposed mining activities,” she said.

The Waratah Galilee Coal environmental impact statement proposes that 52 per cent of the nature refuge would be required by the proposed open-cut operation and the remaining 48 per cent would be subject to underground mining.

Waratah Coal managing director Nui Harris said now the project had gone out to public consultation, they would wait to receive the written submission from Ms Cassoni.

Mr Harris said the company had met with her twice previously to discuss the complex issue.

"We will just have to wait to see exactly what impact the open-cut operations are going to have on the Bimblebox refuge," he said.

Mr Harris said one option available to Waratah Coal was the purchase of a nearby property, as an offset to the project.

He said a similar process had been used by other coal companies in the past to settle grievances from land owners and graziers.

"What we will do is be guided by the owners of the Bimblebox operations," Mr Harris said.

Ms Cassoni and her family bought the 8000-hectare Glen Innes Station, about 30 kilometres south-west of Alpha, in 2000.

In 2001, they met with the federal government to discuss leaving the land as the Bimbelbox nature refuge for future generations.

By 2003 it was gazetted a nature reserve and the family believed the pristine land was safe forever.

On September 26 this year, the family realised the pressure was back on when Waratah Coal's environmental impact study for the project was released.

"It was a bombshell," Ms Cassoni said.

"That's when we knew that we were definitely under threat. I mean if they don't mine the nature refuge there is no mine."

Ms Cassoni said both the state and federal governments were trying to hide from the issue.

"They are trying to sweep it under the carpet, because there is no doubt it is a hot potato," she said.

brisbanetimes.com.au understands that Waratah Coal must "offset" the nature refuge by buying another similar property nearby.

Ms Cassoni said such offsetting was ridiculous.

"They have to find it in the same area in the same bio-region, the same acreage, because fragmented acreage would not have the same ecological value," she said.

"That is more or less what they are proposing."

Ms Cassoni said if the issue was not resolved, it would make a mockery of voluntary nature reserves.

"We will be the first one of many, because there are many other nature refuges that under exploration leases for coal," she said.

While the Australian government will make the final decision, it is the Queensland Government that has to assess the status of the Bimblebox nature reserve.

Public comment close on November 7.

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