According to AAP, he said gas extraction should occur away from prime agricultural land.

‘‘You are really risking long-term damage to the environment, to rich agricultural land,’’ he said.

‘‘It’s uncanny how they hone in on the really good agricultural land, where there are places you could extract gas from, where the water table isn’t as valuable.’’

Among 100 protesters, Caton also said he wanted more city folk to get involved.

‘‘I think city people in some ways feel removed from all of this and it’s going to concern them when it [contamination] starts showing up in their crops and showing up in their beef,’’ Caton said.

AGL chairman Jerry Maycock told the AGM that the company’s Gloucester CSG project could lift New South Wales’ domestically produced gas from covering 5% of the state’s needs to around 20%.