FOR more than a decade, producers from across the Liverpool Plains have taken a stand against the extraction industry.
Coming from a variety of backgrounds, one has stood out to many as a role model as someone who got in on the ground floor in the fight against mining in the district.
Rosemary Nankivell, Wimboyne, Yarraman, has been a member of the Caroona Coal Action Group since its inception and was pivotal in leading her community in blockades of proposed mines.
Now, Mrs Nankivell is continuing to push for expired petroleum exploration licences (PELs) such as the PEL 452, which runs through her family's property, to be extinguished.
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But while Mrs Nankivell is eager to see them stamped out for good, the term "zombie" is one of which she is none too fond.
"I resent that term because there is nothing zombie about them," Mrs Nankivell she said. "They are expired licences that are there for a reason and they can be started up at any time.
"In my opinion, the longer they sit there the more likely they are to damage the prime agricultural land the Liverpool Plains is known for.
"You can grow just about anything here, that's the beauty of this country, but all of that could be lost if these PELs are reactivated and the entire region is covered in gas wells."
Along with her family, the Nankivells operate a cattle and cropping enterprise, which includes cotton, and summer and winter crops on their 2630-hectare property.
The expired 452 PEL overlays the farm and is one of many throughout the state's North West.
"I think one of the real threats these PELs present to producers, such as us, is the uncertainty of planning for the future," Mrs Nankivell said.
"Like a lot of people we want to put some sort of succession plan in place but these things make it really difficult for you to put your money where your mouth is.
"Then again, there are a lot of people who probably don't think that way because they have a hard time imagining that in 15 years the Liverpool Plains could be full of gas wells."
"The other argument against gas is the economic side of things because a lot of people say it is an outdated energy source.
"However, whenever there is outside investments coming in from overseas or wherever, the gas companies will keep poking away at it.
"It's pretty exhausting sort of stuff."
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