A rally in Newcastle has been told nowhere is safe from coal seam gas exploration and local waterways are under threat from the industry.
The rally has been held as part of a National Day of Action against coal seam gas with the theme Defend Our Water to coincide with National Water Week.
More than three hundred people turned out to the Newcastle rally and signed a petition which will be tabled in State Parliament.
Rally organiser and Lake Macquarie Councillor Phillipa Parsons says people travelled from all over to express their concern.
"Nowhere is safe from this insidious industry," she said.
"It's spreading like a cancer.
"It's under-regulated.
"The impacts on our fresh water and our food producing land are unknown.
"This rally has attracted people from Moree, Narrabri, Nambucca heads.
"Ordinary people who have realised that this industry takes away their rights as a property owner and threatens their fresh water and food producing land."
Philippa Parsons says a major source of the city's drinking water is under threat from coal seam gas exploration.
"A huge area from the Myall Lakes all the way down to Port Stephens , Newcastle to Belmont is under an exploration lease," she said.
"Suburbia is not immune.
"Second phase drilling is to go ahead at Fullerton Cove, adjacent to the Tomago sand-beds which supplies a third of Newcastle's drinking water so the potential to contaminate that or pierce that aquifer is huge."
1233 ABC Newcastle
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