Mrs Simson, a crop and cattle farmer from Premer and chairwoman of the Presidential Taskforce on Mining, spoke about the negotiation of access agreements between landholders and mining companies.

Exploration licences are affecting people right across the state with more than 70 per cent of NSW under mineral and petroleum title and application.

“A huge number of people are currently facing the same questions and decisions faced by the Moree community now,” Mrs Simson said.

The main tasks for the Presidential Taskforce on Mining have been to develop policy from concerns raised by landholders and stakeholders.

“Farmers need to recognise the power of a united voice and importance of having people in organisations such as NSW Farmers to lobby for change.”

In her address, Mrs Simson showed examples of of the effect of coal seam gas mining on on the Powder River Basin in Wyoming, in the United States.

“With coal seam gas, there’s a huge amount of infrastructure of the top of the ground but what you see is only part of the activity. It’s what’s under the ground that is of concern,” Mrs Simson said.

The current concerns for coal seam gas are water quality and aquifer health, the impact on landholders, agricultural land and food production, and industry self-regulation and inadequacy of legislation.

“Our position is based on statewide strategic planning. We need to allocate areas to protect, then areas for food production, agriculture and mining,” Mrs Simson said.

“The aquifers are currently not protected enough and there’s no compensation for landholders for loss of underground water.

“A mining exploration licence gives prospectors the right to look on your property, but doesn’t give them the right to enter the property. They must deliver a written notice to the landholders of their interests.”

Mrs Simson told landholders they didn’t have to sign the first or any document given to them by the miner, and they could negotiate appropriate conditions to adequately protect their farm, business and family.