Public support growing for CSG: APPEA PUBLIC support for coal seam gas mining is growing in Australia, a petroleum industry conference in Sydney has been told. The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association's (APPEA) Rick Wilkinson addressed the future of fracking and gas conference in Sydney on Monday. The industry has clashed with conservationists and community groups over plans to explore liquid gas reserves in inner Sydney and concerns about the effects of fracking on water supplies. Mr Wilkinson said the concerns were unfounded because the industry is tightly regulated and conscious of well stability. He said the industry was starting to earn the public's trust in some parts of the country despite action by anti-mining activist groups like Lock The Gate. "The strongest support we have for coal seam gas in Australia is where the most wells are," he said. Go to (the Queensland towns) Roma, Chinchilla, Miles - it's bullet proof. There are no Lock the Gate signs in those streets. APPEA is the peak body representing the interests of the Australian gas industry.