It is reported that opponents of brown coal exploration near Bacchus Marsh west of Melbourne fear better than expected results will boost the likelihood of mining there.

Mantle Mining reports there is an estimated 1 billion tonnes to 2 billion tonnes of brown coal in the area.

The company says two of its four drill holes around Parwan have coal seams that are more than 50 metres thick which is 25% more than expected.

Ms Kate Tubbs president of the Moorabool Environment Group has told ABC Local Radio that she is determined to stop coal mining on her land. She said "It's quite appalling to think that you do have no rights over your land or your food security or your water security or any part of it and that they can just come in and just take over."

She added that "They are out-of-towners coming to do nasty things to our area if they have their way."

Ms Tubbs says she is not prepared to sell her property. She said that "The funny thing about it is that with all of the value of the so-called good coal that we've got underneath us, that we wouldn't realise a cent of that, and that all that we would be offered in compensation is the market value of our land which is plummeting quickly, with possibly five per cent tacked on top of that."

The environment group Deb Porter says she is worried about the possibility of mining near a water treatment plant.

She also said "It's incredibly concerning particularly when from the information that's been released from Mantle, it appears that the 50 meter thickness or possibly more of coal is actually on our water treatment site for all of Bacchus Marsh."

Mr Pat Griffin Mayor of the Moorabool Shire Council says he is sceptical about Mantle Mining's results. He said that "I mean, if you plan to do 15 drill holes and you've only done four and you come out with the results that look somewhat favourable and when you look further into them, I don't know how favorable they really are."

He also said that "We'll continue to try and get the truth out there and I would have thought that a seam of 50 metres of coal is not that significant."

Mantle Mining has not responded to the ABC's request for comment.

(Sourced from www.abc.net.au)