Hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, is the process where a mixture of water and chemicals is injected at an extremely high pressure thousands of metres into the ground through a well.

The pressure then creates a fracture in the rock which releases the gas.

Those opposed to the process have said fracking causes pollution into aquifers and waterways, making the water often undrinkable and sometimes unusable.

The Wilderness Society of WA has been investigating fracking in the South West and said they had witnessed the exploration of coal seam gas happening near Busselton.

They also claim that there is exploration activity between Bunbury and Margaret River and that it was likely fracking would occur later this year.

Society state coordinator Peter Robertson said the society was concerned about the contentious activity.

“Fracking leads to unpredictable events and opens up avenues for gas release in the environment,” he said.

“It is an uncontained risk.”

Currently there is a senate enquiry in New South Wales into the process after local communities demanded the government make a full investigation into the safety of the procedure.

Federal member for Forrest Nola Marino said she believed the community needed to see a genuine risk assessment made on the process.

“Any issue to do with our water resources is a serious issue,” she said.

“Water in the South West is a primary concern and I believe the community would demand that fracking be proved safe before it starts here.

“We need to be proactive on this one.”

The South West Environment Centre is also against the process being started.

“We have already become aware of serious outcomes for the South West’s environment and primary and service industries if this form of mining starts,” spokesman John Sherwood said.

“Contamination of our precious water supplies, rivers and aquifers is highly likely, as is over-extraction of water.

“SWEC calls for the state government to initiate a major investigation of potential results of fracking in the South West, with a long community consultation period.”