Compensation laws for landholders affected by gas exploration and production need to be clearer and more uniform, according to a Deakin University law academic specialising in mining and the environment.

Scientists from around the world, who gathered in Sydney last week, broadly support the importance of proceeding with the unconventional gas industry.

They argued it should go ahead as long as the latest technology was used and "robust regulation" was in place to protect people and the landscape.

Deakin University's Professor Samantha Hepburn agreed, but said the regulation had to be "torn apart" to make sure it was rigorous enough to protect landholders.

She said the compensation farmers received differed around the country and often depended on people's negotiation skills. Listen Duration: 3 minutes 43 seconds 3 m 43 s Listen Space to play or pause, M to mute, left and right arrows to seek, up and down arrows for volume. Lawyer Samantha Hepburn wants clear compensation laws for land holders affected by gas exploration ( David Claughton ) Download 3.4 MB

"It will depend on the volume of wells... the type of surface industry you had and how that industry is impacted.

"Did you have an established dairy farm for example, and how are those drills going to affect that dairy farm?"

Professor Hepburn said the amount of compensation awarded to landholders varied from $30,000 to reinforce windows against noise, while others who could prove a greater loss might get as much as $200,000.

She wants to see changes to compensation laws so there is mandatory negotiation.

"The categories are very broad and people don't have any clear idea about what their entitlements might be."

Professor Hepburn wants to see the royalties governments get returned to the affected communities by linking them to a mining company's social license to operate.

"Connect the Royalties for the Regions project into the social licensing obligations so you're actually saying, 'Here's what we're doing, this is the stage that the approvals process is going through, this is the likely impact, and these are the royalties we expect to generate and these are the projects we would like to develop'."