Mining 'utterly necessary'

Environmentalist and former Australian of the Year Tim Flannery has spoken out in support of the coal seam gas industry.

Professor Flannery has warned that opposition to such exploration could lead to "social dislocation" across regional Australia, The Australian reports.

Speaking at the NSW Minerals Council environment and community conference in Wollongong, Professor Flannery said mining and its products were "utterly necessary" to modern life.

He also predicted the Australian coal industry would enjoy robust growth for perhaps the next 25 years.

"Ultimately, the danger is that the disaffection will become so great that some populist politician, probably no one who's in power now, may say: 'OK, we'll give the people what they want - (let them) own the rights to everything, right down to an indivisible point in the centre of the earth'," he said.

"I think it would usher in here a period of pretty profound social dislocation and challenge to the mining industry."