Prime Minister Tony Abbott is “frustrated” at the Federal Court’s decision to overturn the approval of Adani's Carmichael coal mine, saying it could have created thousands of jobs.

The planned central Queensland coal mine was set back by the Federal Court last week, which ruled that Environment Minister Greg Hunt did not properly consider two vulnerable species - the yakka skink and the ornamental snake – when he granted the approval.

One the weekend, Mr Abbott said the mine should go ahead.

“If we get to the stage where the rules are such that projects like this can be endlessly frustrated, that's dangerous for our country and it's tragic for the wider world,” he said.

“So we've got to get these projects right...but once they are fully complying with high environmental standards, let them go ahead.

“While it's absolutely true that we want the highest environmental standards to apply to projects in Australia, and while it's absolutely true that people have a right to go to court, this is a $21 billion investment, it will create 10,000 jobs in Queensland and elsewhere in our country.”

The Federal Court hearings determined that the true number of jobs created by the mine would be closer to 1,400.

Mr Abbott repeated claims that the mine would benefit the people of India, where Adani is headquartered.

“Let them go ahead for the workers of Australia and for the people of countries like India who right at the moment have no electricity.

“Imagine what it's like to live in the modern world with no electricity.

“Australian resources can give them electricity and the interesting thing about Australian resources is that invariably they're much better for the environment than the alternative,” he said.

Mr Abbott’s claims run contrary to the findings of the Institute of Energy Economics and Financial Analysis, which has shown that the cost of producing electricity in India using Australian coal from the Galilee Basin is about double the current average wholesale cost of electricity.

The experts say it means that Galilee Basin coal too expensive for India.

Other studies say that Indians living in rural areas – about 68 per cent of the population – could be better served by off-grid renewable options, which save on the costs of building new infrastructure to transport traditional forms of energy.

Federal Environment Minister Greg Hunt is still pushing for the giant mine to go ahead.

The Federal Court overturning is a “technical, administrative manner”, a Department of Environment spokesperson told reporters.

Prominent businessperson and Australian Conservation Foundation president Geoff Cousins says Mr Abbott’s support is misguided.

“He seems to say; ‘Look I'm really trying to look after the jobs in the fossil fuel industry’. Well, those jobs are going,” Mr Cousins said.

“The question is, are we going to get the new jobs that are coming in renewable energy industries, or are they going to go offshore somewhere?”