THE long-term effects of the resources expansion in the Liverpool Plains would be disastrous unless regional people did not act to stop further mining activity locally.
Yesterday's food security forum in Gunnedah heard a range of speakers and a lot of warnings about what the mining expansion would bring ? but the message was clear to everyone there: agricultural production had to be the priority for future prosperity in the region.
Areas of specialty of the speakers at the forum included science, medicine, agriculture and journalism.
Soil scientist Rob McCreath said 35 per cent of Liverpool Plains land contributed to Australia's grain and cereal exports and that this would dramatically decline if agricultural land was decreased.
"The soil generally has high water and nutrient capacities and this has paid enormous dividends for the Australian economy," he said.
Darling Downs farmer Heather Brown, who is also a journalist, spoke of the media's need to address the lack of coverage given to land being taken over by mining companies.
"It's time to stand up and take responsibility," Ms Brown said.
She said politicians were the servants of the people and they had no right to sit back while land and water was destroyed.
She said politicians had done little to stop the invasion of good land from miners, and their inaction was staggering.
Forum host and radio broadcaster Alan Jones said coal seam gas exploration could take up to 30 years to finalise and children would grow up learning about the legislation that affected their farms and the intimidation by the mining companies.
"It will destroy the physical character and rural activity of farms," Mr Jones said.
Doctor Pauline Roberts said the health effects of mining pollution would be trans-generational.
"We burn the dirty stuff in Hunter centres instead, but the dirty smoke goes into the atmosphere, water, land and our lungs," Dr Roberts said.
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