Energy Minister Chris Hartcher has refused to say where coal seam gas extraction might take place in NSW, saying it will be left to the proper processes.
Mr Hartcher on Tuesday would not guarantee that coal seam gas extraction won't take place at St Peter's, in inner Sydney, or in rural parts of NSW.
"I am not going to say where coal seam gas extraction is or isn't going to take place," he told Macquarie Radio on Tuesday.
"(But) we are determined we will not see a repetition of what happened in Queensland here in NSW, which is why we've set into place a large number of measures to ensure we do get the balance right."
Mr Hartcher vigorously defended the process of granting coal seam gas licences, which he said will go through planning assessment decisions.
"You do not expect politicians to make these decisions, you expect them to be made by people acting in accordance with definite scientific criteria and that's what we will be doing," Mr Hartcher said.
No coal seam gas exploration licences had been issued, nor would be if prime agricultural land and water quality was threatened, he added.
"We have got the most elaborate processes in place," he said.
"What we have is a determination to get all the scientific evidence in place before any final decisions are made, which is what I believe the community of NSW would wish and expect.
"No final decisions are going to be made on mining production, coal seam gas extraction until (we) have scientific evidence that it's going to be safe and that our water will be protected."
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