Many of the answers from public servants were deemed unsatisfactory by the parliamentary committee.

However the committee was took in to account that Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) head honcho Tracy Mackey had only recently come in to the role, while some EPA staff were suddenly unavailable due to illness.

Committee chair and Shooters, Fishers and Farmers politician Mark Banasiak said the "targeted" inquiry was after answers, so it could "get down to the nitty gritty" of the issue.

READ MORE

"A lot of questions were taken on notice," he said.

"The committee resolved to have another half day hearing on February 4 and change the reporting date to February 28."

The inquiry is looking specifically at whether the 16 recommendations made by the state's chief scientist - which she said were necessary to allow the industry to operate safely - had been implement by the NSW government.

Mr Banasiak said the second hearing would allow the committee to also get the views of those outside the government.

"We'll split it between additional government witnesses, and Santos and environmental groups, to give them an opportunity to state their position on whether the government has met the requirements," he said.

Lock the Gate spokeswoman Georgina Woods said the organisation was glad to see the inquiry throwing a light on how much of the chief scientist's recommendations had been "left undone and neglected".

"The government was really caught flat footed in the first inquiry, it did not have basic answers to the questions the parliamentarians were asking," Ms Woods said.

"Broadly, our view is that some of the recommendations have been implement, while others have been neglected."

Have your say. Click this link to send a letter to the editor