Given the threat of fracking on farmland covering large areas of the north of the state as well as the Upper Hunter first the federal Agriculture Minister David Littleproud said farmers should have the right to say no to such activity due to its adverse impacts.

Similar concerns have been voiced by the NSW Agriculture Minister Addam Marshall whose electorate would include a number of Petroleum Exploration Licences (PELs).

Independent NSW MLC Justin Field went one step further and gave notice of legislation to extinguish so-called 'zombie' Petroleum Exploration Licences (PELs) and give certainty to communities who have been living for years under the threat of a return of coal seam gas exploration, including on some of the most productive agricultural land in NSW.

Zombie PELs are petroleum exploration licences that have expired, but have not been formally extinguished by the NSW Government. There are 12 of these licences covering more than 55,000 square kilometres between the Upper Hunter and the Queensland border and stretching west to Dubbo.

Mr Field said, "These expired and unused exploration licences have been hanging over the heads of communities for too long and the Government should give communities certainty about their future and cancel these licences.

"The Government acted in 2014 and 2015 to revoke licenses across the Sydney Basin and NSW Coast but left these 12 licences in place. This bill is an opportunity to address the community concerns about the impact on farmland and water from a return to widespread CSG exploration across the region."

The bill follows the conditional approval of the Santos Narrabri Gas project and the public announcements by licence holders that they intend to pursue the renewal of expired licences and recommence exploration across the region.

On the subject of the 800km gas pipeline from Queensland to Newcastle which passes through the Liverpool Plains and Hunter Valley Mr Littelproud told Town and Country it would have little impact on landholders.