The forthcoming custodians of the region’s fertile soils say the incursion of mining onto prime agricultural land will deter young farmers entering the industry.

A Facebook page titled “Liverpool Plains Youth” set up just last week to rally opposition to Shenhua’s mine at Breeza has already attracted more than 1100 followers.

Sarah Hubbard, who dreams of one day taking over her parents’ blacksoil-rich Spring Ridge property, said the project was the wrong mine in the wrong place.

The 26-year-old said the group had no confidence that planning authorities understood the impact mining could have on the region’s precious groundwater resources.

“The Liverpool Plains has one of the highest percentages of young farmers in any area in Australia, due to its ability to generate such magnificent crops,” she said.

“If we’re unable to generate that 20 years down the line, it creates a lot of issues for young farmers when their whole lives they’ve what they’re passionate about.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen if this mine goes ahead and we have no way of absolutely knowing for sure.”

While 23-year-old Maddy Coleman grew up in Sydney, a love of horses saw her drawn to a life on the land.

She now lives at Breeza, is employed in the livestock industry and hopes to some day own a farm on the Liverpool Plains.

Miss Coleman said opposition to Shenhua’s mine, which if approved will see 268 million tonnes of coal extracted from beneath Breeza, was not limited to “grumpy old farmers”.

“The Liverpool Plains youth have a chance to make a difference,” she said.

The Planning Assessment Commission last month concluded it was satisfied the mine “would not preclude the continuation of significant agricultural production occurring on the blacksoil plains”.

The mine is subject to a final assessment under the federal Environment Protection Biodiversity and Conservation Act, with a decision possibly to be announced as early as March 13.