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Players in the coal seam gas (CSG) dispute marked out their positions at Dubbo yesterday.
Angry farmers from Coonamble protested outside the office of NSW MP Troy Grant, who is the Parliamentary Secretary for Natural Resources.
The protesters and Mr Grant met. Farmers felt Mr Grant was unresponsive to their concerns.
Mr Grant said his main concern was preservation of prime farming land but he had to look at other industries that could boost the local economy.
Farmers and environmentalists are seriously concerned about claimed risks from CSG including ground water pollution, environmental damage and medical issues.
The government counters that NSW needs the gas to fuel the economy and for consumers. It claims it has stringent restrictions in place.
The government position was perhaps undermined by leaks at the CSG facility in the Pilliga State Forest, which saw an aquifer polluted with uranium and heavy metals.
Dubbo could be a new frontier. Exploration licences have been filed for 9400 square km of land centred on Dubbo and covering areas in the Narromine, Gilgandra, Warrumbungle and Mid-Western districts.
Dubbo farmers and residents have been urged to make submissions against the licences.
The issues are complex and involve economics, science, land preservation, potential environmental and medical risks and other matters.
Perhaps all could benefit from a meeting where communities could be briefed, in a calm and orderly fashion, on all the pros and cons of CSG.