Brisbane Airport has received Australian Government approval to push ahead with a 3600m parallel runway that will cost AU$1 billion and create 2700 construction jobs.

The project to build the new runway, about 2km west of the existing main runway, is expected to take eight years and provide a permanent employment gain in the region by 2035 of 7800 jobs.

The approval comes after public debate on the expansion resulted in 196 public submissions and will be subject to conditions about community consultation and environmental requirements.

It will help cater for growth in annual passenger numbers expected to increase from 17.5 million last financial year to more than 25 million by 2014-15 and to 50 million by 2035.

Transport Minister Mark Vaile said Brisbane Airport Corportation would be required to engage the community and keep it fully informed of noise issues and flight paths.

"The government has taken very seriously all 196 public submissions received on this project proposal," he said.

The government said the proposal fell under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Act 1999 and strict conditions had been applied to ensure there were no unacceptable environmental impacts.

This included an agreement that BAC set aside and manage 285 biodiversity zones.

It would also be required to build a White-bellied Sea Eagle nesting site and fund ecological monitoring progams for seagrass, mangrove and saltmarsh.

BAC chief executive Koen Rooijmans said the company was assessing the approval conditions, but the government's decision to allow the project to proceed was a positive outcome that would deliver far-reaching benefits to the South East Queensland community and economy.

"Brisbane Airport is a vital transport hub and it is critical for its infrastructure and facilities to keep pace with escalating passenger and freight demands as the region's population and economy grows," he said.

Mr Rooijmans said the government approval was just the first stage in what would be an estimated eight-year program to bring the new runway on line by around 2015 with site preparation works getting underway in 2009.