Offering landowner royalties will “pit farmer against farmer and neighbour against neighbour”, according to Member for Mount Gambier Troy Bell.
On a study tour to the United States last year, he saw landowners who had been friends for three generations become arch-enemies due to fracking.
“Those who were vehemently opposed to fracking were living next door to gas rigs,” he said.
Mr Bell accepts landholders should be fairly compensated for any disruption to their businesses from mining and land lost to access roads, but says the move goes against the principle that landholders owned the “top few inches” of soil. The mineral wealth below should flow to all SA residents.
“And does it (the royalties) stop at gas or will it be extended to coal and any other mining activities?”
Mr Bell says the Liberal Party’s policy remains to impose a 10-year moratorium on unconventional gas extraction in the South East, if elected in 2018.