Upper Hunter farmers have called for certainty over which petroleum licences will be extinguished as part of the state government's new gas strategy.
Expired but not extinguished petroleum tenements are dotted across more than 55,000 square kilometres of the state's north west.
Deputy Premier John Barilaro recently said the government would extinguish some but not all of the so-called "zombie" petroleum licences.
"When I do release the gas strategy, and hopefully not too far off, I'm going to use that at the same time to extinguish a number of PELS across the state. I believe a number of those are not economically or environmentally viable," he said.
Mullaley farmer Margaret Fleck, whose property is covered by one of the zombie licences has called for an end to the uncertainty.
"Landholders shouldn't have to live in fear that they might be unlucky enough to live on a petroleum license that is brought back from the dead," she said.
"We want to know what talks Mr Barilaro and his department have been in with Santos about these licences, and we'd like an assurance that landholders will have equal access."
NSW Agricultural Minister Adam Marshall and Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson have publicly opposed the renewal of zombie licenses.
Mr Marshall said, given the approval of the Narrabri gasfield, there was now no need for the zombie petroleum licences to be brought back to life.
"There's no prospect of them being utilised anyway, because Narrabri will provide more than enough gas for everyone for ever and ever... so let's just get rid of them, remove the uncertainty and allow people to get on with their lives," he said.
Lock the Gate hascalled for genuine community consultation about which licences should be extinguished.
"So far the government's Future of Gas policy, expected to be released in the coming months, has included no public consultation," spokeswoman Georgina Woods said.
"Yet Mr Barilaro appears to be able to confidently say some but not all licences will be extinguished.
"These licenses should be scrapped and the region reserved for sustainable development that does not put our land, water, and climate at further risk."
Farmers fear the Narrabri gas project will become a trojan horse for companies seeking to reactivate zombie gas licences.
Ms Fleck, said the recent decision to approve the transfer of majority ownership of PEL 456 was a concern.
"The people of NSW need to have faith that their government is at the very least properly scrutinising companies that want to engage in an industry as controversial and risk prone as coal seam gas," she said.
"These zombie licences are now hovering like a bad smell over the north west, and preventing members of the public from making long term decisions about their properties."
.png?w=600)
