A CSIRO study has for the first time put a dollar figure on the losses to farmers due to coal seam gas (CSG) mining on their land.

Key points: Sample area averages a loss of $2.17 million over 20 years

Sample area averages a loss of $2.17 million over 20 years Biggest cause of losses to agricultural production from gas industry access tracks, lease areas

Biggest cause of losses to agricultural production from gas industry access tracks, lease areas Peak body says industry has brought benefits for farmers in many cases

According to the model used by the CSIRO, a sample area averaged a loss of $2.17 million over 20 years when CSG mining activity was present.

The study, to be published in Land Use Policy at the end of December, measured the losses to productive land under 24 different scenarios.

It found the biggest cause of losses to agricultural production was from gas industry access tracks and lease areas.

Study author Dr Oswald Marinoni said he hoped the model would be used to influence future practice of the CSG industry.

"Coal seam gas mining is a multi-faceted research area, and it requires critical research as it is a new, rapidly expanding industry," Dr Marinoni said.

Environmental group Lock the Gate Alliance welcomed the study, but said the true losses to landholders went deeper.

"This study has estimated the costs and the impacts to the footprint on the land — but doesn't take into account a range of complexities associated with CSG mining," national coordinator Phillip Laird said.

Dr Marinoni acknowledged that more research was needed on CSG impacts.

"This model does not assess the impact to groundwater, greenhouse gas emissions, or socioeconomic impacts," he said.

The Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association (APPEA), the country's peak body representing the industry, said CSG companies owned some of the land that was used in the study.

"The study area includes several farms but it's important to note the area also covers treatment plants, lay down areas, camps, etc, on company owned land," APPEA's chief executive Dr Malcolm Roberts said.

Dr Roberts said the CSIRO study was useful research, but warned it should not be misrepresented by environmental activists or lawyers wanting to sell their services.

"The CSIRO research in no way suggests landholders in the study area are not adequately compensated," he said.

"It is worth noting that gas companies have paid more than $238 million in compensation to Queensland landholders over the past five years."

Dr Roberts said the industry had brought benefits for farmers in many cases.

"Farmers gain a stable source of drought-proof income, access to new sources or water for irrigation and livestock, improved roads," he said.

There are more than 5,000 active CSG wells in Queensland. ( AAP: Supplied )

Compensation doesn't match economic modelling

But Mr Laird said he "very much doubts" the compensation paid back to landowners came close to the $2.17 million figure assessed in the study.

"Changes in farm amenity, vehicular traffic, disrupting GPS signals, farm management, land values, erosion, changes in water flows and biosecurity changes are impacts caused by CSG not considered in the model," Mr Laird said.

Shine Lawyers' Peter Shannon represents many landholders in CSG mining cases.

He said the standard Conduct and Compensation Agreement between the CSG companies and farmers was a "classic commercial negotiation".

"In that negotiation, the mining companies are looking at what the court would do — that is, assessing the value of the land before and after the CSG mining," he said.

"It's a commercial code of conduct, there is no regulatory guidelines which the industry has to abide by.

"There is no clear code of conduct or provision, nor are they easily held to account in the negotiation context."

Mr Shannon said a farmer has no knowledge of what they are walking into when they are signing a Conduct and Compensation Agreement.

"We can only deal with the short-term known impacts, that's one of the difficulties assessing compensation," he said.

"There's a significant imbalance between knowledge and understanding, and if landholders don't get good representation they are taken advantage of."

Landowners concerned about regulations

There are more than 5,000 active CSG wells in Queensland, with estimates that will approach 20,000 wells by 2030.

Dr Marinoni said his study was conducted in response to landholders' concerns about unconventional gas mining on their land.

"Communities and landowners were worried about regulations for such a new industry, so we focused our research on the economic impacts to the land," he said,

The authors of the study stressed that the estimated losses to gross revenues must not be equated to compensation payments.

"Compensation will have to account for a whole range of additional impacts of CSG on farming operations."