(Transcript from SBS World News Radio)
Opponents of coal seam gas exploration in Australia say there are a serious a lack of controls over how the industry operates.
A new report about the industry in New South Wales agrees - and recommends stricter guidelines to better protect people and the environment.
Greg Navarro reports.
(Click on the audio tab above to hear the full report)
New South Wales Chief Scientist Mary O'Kane spent the last year and a half studying the process surrounding coal seam gas.
"It's a very complex system and you need a very straight forward, easy system, easy to follow for the community, easy to follow for government and for the industry to know eactly what is expected of them."
The system of extracting coal seam gas - also known as fracking - works by injecting water or other fluids at high pressure down below - cracking up the coal bed and releasing the gas.
Opponents say they process is too dangerous because it can contaminate ground water and the environment.
Mary O'Kane says she found the industry and the state government could do better job of monitoring that system.
"We need to watch because we get unintended consequences everywhere in life and you need to be every watchful ever interested not just assuming everything will be right."
The 16 recommendations outlined in her report include creating a single, independent regulator to monitor the industry, creating a world class extraction process, and establishing a compensation scheme for people impacted by fracking.
The report found that people were not only concerned about what was happening under the ground but there was also an overwhelming lack of trust of both the industry - and the state government to look out for their best interests.
Energy company AGL welcomed the report, saying it acknowledges the need for best practice to ensure natural gas can be produced safely and sustainably across New South Wales.
Nell Schofield - with anti- fracking group Lock The Gate Alliance - views the report a little differently.
"Far from being a green light for the industry, we see it as a call to arms and a big shout out to the Premier to reassess the entire industry and put in health risk assessments for these communities.
State Opposition leader John Robertson says Premier Mike Baird should act on the report's recommendations.
"The challenge for Mike Baird is to come out now and accept what the report says and back Labor's position to suspend all coal seam mining exploration in New South Wales until such time that we have a regulatory framework in place and until such time as we have a better understanding of what will be the consequences of coal seam gas operating in New South Wales."
The Premier's office says it will review the entire report - before deciding whether any changes to how coal seam gas is explored and extracted - need to be made.
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