Cr Murray said Namoi Councils � an alliance of five regional councils including Tamworth Regional, Gunnedah Shire, Liverpool Plains, Walcha and Narrabri � fully supported the government proposal for a legislative reform package that includes the allocation of $200 million of revenue to be raised from the proposed Mining Resource Rent Tax to fund bio-regional assessment of the cumulative impact of coal mining and coal seam gas exploration and extraction on water catchments.

The proposal for bio-regional assessment will take place in priority areas and will involve changes to state laws and include the involvement of local catchment management authorities.

Cr Murray said there was much to applaud about the government's decision to involve local catchment management authorities in the cumulative assessment process.

"The participation of the Namoi Catchment Management Authority will bring rigour and pragmatism to this critically important process. This will be particularly so following completion of the Namoi Water Study and the development of a Cumulative Environmental Impact Assessment Model by the Namoi CMA due in March/April 2012," Cr Murray said.

Given the level of existing coal mining and the extent of proposed coal seam gas resource development, Namoi Councils has asked Tony Windsor to lobby the federal government for the Gunnedah Coal Basin to be recognised as a first priority area for a bio-regional assessment.