Denman people had the opportunity to meet with the representatives of the company behind the proposal, Eastern Star Gas, on Wednesday and they had a lot of questions.

While most people don’t want the pipeline to run through the fertile country around Denman, the pipeline itself isn’t their main concern.

“I am not too concerned with the pipeline itself, but I am worried about the gas wells and the chance that they’ll come to this region,” Denman resident Neville Bray said.

Mr Bray said he was at the meeting to educate himself on the future of gas in the Hunter Valley and what the effects would be.

“It’s only what we don’t know that worries us,” he said.

Mr Bray and other residents took the opportunity to ask questions about the possibility of damage to underground aquifers and to landholders’ property.

Eastern Star Gas executive general manager Peter Fox said the information session, which was held at the Denman Community Centre, was an opportunity for people to gain a better understanding of what was happening from the source.

“We have a number of people from a range of disciplines to answer questions the public might have about the impacts of the gas pipeline,” he said.

“Most people want to know what the direct impact will be as well as where the planning is up to.

“The main question is where will the pipeline go and we don’t know that definitively yet.

“There are still changes happening as discussions with landholders continue.”

Mr Fox said while there was a lot of conversation about coal seam gas, that was a separate issue to the pipeline, which is in the planning stages.

“We are currently in the process of running approvals for the field, pipeline and proposed plant in Newcastle,” he said.

“As well as that, we are concluding market arrangements for the gas and conducting a financing study all at once.

“That is all moving forward but we expect it won’t be finished until the end of 2012 so construction on the pipeline won’t commence until 2013.”