Speaking during a Fairfax ‘Google Plus hangout’, she outlined her concerns on fugitive emissions, saying that it was one of a number of reasons she did not support the CSG industry.

“I’ve campaigned in the parliament strongly on this and the CSIRO now has finally gone beyond desktop analysis and started to do some work on that, and I believe their report will be coming down in about November this year,” she said.

“But I don’t accept that there’s any evidence that coal seam gas has a better life cycle in terms of emissions than coal.

“As I am saying, I don’t support coal seam gas or any expansion of coal seam gas and that’s why I’m saying farmers should have the right to say no, but I don’t think we should be pursuing this industry.”

Questioned by manager of external affairs at the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association, Michael Bradley, on whether individual landholders had the right to say yes to CSG activities on their land, she said that she would rather they didn’t.

“I don’t support those industries and I will support the campaigns against them and we did move in the senate to give the farmers the right to say no in the context that regardless of our views it’s continuing, and I don’t support the industry,” she said.

“So no I’m not supporting people’s rights to say yes.”

She also refused to directly answer a question from Bradley on whether she accepted that unconventional gas extraction had a role in lowering the United States’ carbon-dioxide emissions to pre-1994 levels.

Milne repeated her wish for Australia to go towards 100% renewables as soon as possible, referencing a report from the Australian Energy Market Operator which outlined that it was technically feasible to do so.

AEMO found that such a scenario would cost upwards of $332 billion, depending on the exact supply scenario.

It also found that variability issues could be controlled and did not provide a reference ‘business as usual’ baseline.