Farmers and miners go head to head in Gippsland, Victoria

Gippsland provides much of the electricity to Melbourne and has enormous deposits of coal. It's also thought to be rich in coal seam gas.

It's an area also blessed with good rainfall and is one of the most productive farming regions in the state.

Farmers are starting to get worried as resource companies start applying for exploration licenses.

Almost the entire region of South Gippsland is covered by coal seam gas exploration licences.

The Mineral Council of Australia says this doesn't necessarily mean drilling will take place but farmers are increasingly nervous about losing their land.

Megan Davison, Executive Director if Minerals Council of Australia Victoria; Gerald Leach, Land Management Chair, Victorian Farmer's Federation; Chris Madson, President South Traralgon Community Organisation; Kelly Van Den Berg, founder of Lock the Gate, Gippsland

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ABC Rural