A government-funded Catchment Authority is warning of dire consequences for Hunter Valley aquifers if there are not stringent safeguards to protect them from coal seam gas extraction.
The Hunter-Central Rivers Catchment Management Authority has told a State Parliamentary inquiry that the region's alluvial aquifers are already under stress and coal seam gas projects could make things worse.
It says there needs to be a buffer zone for drilling and fracturing using chemicals must be banned.
Chairman Doctor Wej Paradice says he is also worried the region's Salinty Trading scheme will not be able to accomodate any extra saline water generated by coal seam gas development.
"Extra saline water that would come into the system it would then have a detrimental impact on all the players that presently exist within the salinity trading scheme," he said.
Several vineyards have been sold to gas giant AGL, including one that used to be owned by the former Premier Nick Greiner.
The CEO of the NSW Irrigators Council Andrew Gregson says all of the state's water resources must be protected.
"What we're looking at is a no regrets approach," he said.
"We've seen in a number of overseas jurisdictions that groundwater aquifiers have been irretrievably damaged by the addition of chemicals so Australia has got an opportunity here to make sure that the development of mining and mineral exploitation is done sensibly.
"There is no reason the two can't co-exist but water resources must be paramount."
1233 ABC Newcastle
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