In a bid to learn as much as possible about the impacts of the coal seam gas industry, Mr Johnsen (pictured right) has been instrumental in doing the ground work on the issue in past months.

Mr Johnsen spoke at the public hearing on Monday before committee members of the Upper House inquiry into coal seam gas, which is one of many being held across the state to gauge all opinions and positions on the issue.

Mr Johnsen also made a personal submission to the NSW Coal Seam Gas Inquiry and is a key driver behind the Hunter Nationals’ lobbying for a Mineral Resources Ombudsman in the future.

The NSW Nationals State Conference, which included about 550 branch representatives and electorate council representatives, unanimously passed a resolution last month to support Hunter Nationals and the local community in its concerns around mining and coal seam gas exploration.

The conference delegates voted to push for the appointment of an ombudsman to educate landholders and private citizens about their rights in relation to mineral exploration and extraction and represent the public interest by investigating and addressing complaints in relation to the industry.

The resolution was moved by the Young Nationals and supported by Mr Johnsen.

It will now go through the processes of consideration by the NSW Government.

Mr Johnsen said the issue of coal seam gas was causing a lot of angst among regional NSW and the Hunter is really only in the infancy stages of the industry.

“This is an opportunity for the state government to get the guidelines right in the first place before allowing the industry to pass beyond those guidelines.

“It really comes down to ensuring the policy is set down properly and ensuring all parties are receiving independent information that addresses their concerns,” he said.

“A Mineral Resources Ombudsman is a great way to ensure these mechanisms are put in place.”

Mr Johnsen said he hoped the implementation of an ombudsman would be one of the recommendations of the NSW Coal Seam Gas inquiry.

In Mr Johnsen’s submission to the inquiry he reiterated his strong belief in balance, saying that by providing the appropriate legislative framework, our society can utilise natural resources for lifestyle benefits, as it has done for hundreds of years, while encouraging innovation in technology to improve both production and efficiency.