The split between the Liberals and Nationals over coal seam gas and mining policy has been starkly exposed after senior ministers contradicted each other over whether the government was considering giving farmers the right to refuse energy companies access to their land.
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In parliament on Wednesday, the leader of the government in the upper house, Duncan Gay, said giving farmers the legal right "is a policy and a political decision that is currently under way, not only among the opposition, but certainly among the government".
Mr Gay, who is roads minister and a senior Nationals MP, said that "prominent figures within my political party have made some private observations on that view".
"And I'm sure it's not dissimilar to a private view held by many in this room," he said. "But the fact is, as we stand here, that decision hasn't been made."
Achieving for landowners the right to refuse access to their properties to companies seeking to explore for coal seam gas or mine coal is the aim of the Lock the Gate movement.
Mr Gay was asked about the issue by Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham after Deputy Prime Minister Warren Truss told The Guardian farmers should have the right to veto coal seam gas exploration and extraction on their properties.
The comments followed a call by Minister for Rural Health Fiona Nash for a change to state laws in response to the suicide of Queensland farmer George Bender, who battled Origin Energy for a decade.
Mr Truss pointed out land access laws were a state government responsibility. At present, landowners are powerless to refuse access if the company is granted a licence, as the resource is owned by the state.
Mr Gay's comments came during debate over a condolence motion for Mr Bender put forward by Mr Buckingham, which contained a resolution that the Baird government change the law to allow farmers to refuse access.
Asked to clarify his comment, a spokeswoman for Mr Gay referred inquiries to resources minister Anthony Roberts, a senior Liberal.
A spokesman for Mr Roberts said no such policy was under consideration.
"The NSW government recently passed legislation to strengthen protections for land-holders in relation to land access arbitration, as recommended by Mr Bret Walker SC," he said.
"The government will review the new laws once operational to ensure they are working as designed."
Mr Buckingham accused the Nationals of "trying to say one thing to the public and do another thing in parliament."
"The Nationals are caught straddling a barbed wire fence, and are a mess of private views, unfulfilled promises and unclear policy," he said.
