Beef farmer Nicola wanted to know why the Deputy PM could not replicate the federal government's 1991 intervention to end sand mining on Fraser Island. Monday night's panel: Farmer Fiona Simson, Agriculture Minister Barnaby Joyce, host Tony Jones, independent candidate Tony Windsor, small businesswoman Robbie Sefton and Labor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon. Credit:ABC "You can stop mining, you do have that power and we are waiting for you to do it," she said. Mr Joyce, who has taken the position that mining projects should not be allowed on prime agricultural land, said his hands were tied because mining regulation is a state responsibility. "Overwhelmingly, it's state laws ... I can understand your frustration completely, but it's a constitutional reality, a division of powers between federal, state and local," he said.

"If we go beyond our jurisdiction, it is just an issue for the High Court." Deputy PM Barnaby Joyce on Monday night's program. Credit:ABC Another farmer, Sandra, who moved back from Queensland to escape CSG, was also not impressed. "It's not a state issue. It's a very, very serious issue .. and you just sat there and told me you're going to do nothing. That's just passing the buck," she said. Tony Windsor, who wants the seat of New England back from Mr Joyce, said Mr Joyce and Environment Minister Greg Hunt had been "complicit" in the encroachment of miners into the best farming areas.

"They can do something if they really want to," he said. Labor's agriculture spokesman Joel Fitzgibbon claimed Mr Joyce should "have a voice" on the issue of mining inside the Coalition. But Mr Joyce wasn't the only one in the cross-hairs of the Tamworth audience, with Mr Windsor taken to task on whether he would repeat the experience of 2010 when he backed in writing the Gillard Labor Government in the hung Parliament. "If there is a hung Parliament ... I won't be signing any document with either side," he said. Audience member Elizabeth Wakeford, who lives just 20 kilometres from Tamworth, put the challenges of rural life in perspective.

"We don't get TV reception, we don't have mobile reception, we have a damaged fixed line that we can't use," she said. Her story allowed Mr Windsor to tee off on one of his favourite topics: the National Broadband Network. "Do it once, do it right, and do it with fibre," he said. After a fractious hour, panellist Robbie Sefton, a rural businesswoman, reminded Tamworth of the charms of regional life. "I find the conversation tonight has been quite negative. It's not my experience of living and working in rural Australia," she said.

"I want to say it's a great place to live and work and it is. I think we all need to be more positive about what we stand for here and we need to have that conversation with everyone that we talk to whenever we are in the city. We should be talking about what we do and what a vibrant and refreshing life and how healthy we are".