The state's peak farming body says landholders in White Cliffs and Lightning Ridge would be undercompensated for proposed standard payments on opal mining claims under their land.

The government announced in November 2025 that they will establish compensation at $200 per year for claims less than 2500 square metres in Lightning Ridge.

NSW Farmers Acting CEO Mike Geurin said the amounts would not cover costs for the loss of agricultural land.

"This is a massive impost on farmers who are doing their best to produce healthy plants and animals in a pretty harsh environment, and this pittance proposed by government as ‘compensation’ is little more than an insult," Mr Geurin said.

"We've calculated a compensation rate of approximately $1500 per claim more accurately reflects the true costs and losses incurred by farm businesses hosting opal mining activity.

"If the government is unwilling to provide fair and equitable compensation, in lieu of compensable loss, then opal mining should be restricted to public land only, within designated reserves established specifically for that purpose."

At the moment, opal miners pay $100 for any claim in Lightning Ridge, a standard which began in 2014 and is indexed to inflation.

Opal mines can affect farming land it runs under. IMAGE: River McCrossen

In White Cliffs, where there is no standard compensation, the amount will be set to $55.

The Independent Review into the Statutory Framework for Small-Scale Titles recommended the new amounts in June 2024.

The government's response, released on 7 November, gave "in principle" support to be apply them within the next six months.

They also accepted to increase compensation for claims under larger areas and review the prices every five years.

White Cliffs Miners Association president Troy Karkoe said the standard will protect against excessive demands for compensation.

He also said that not all land mined under is highly productive in his area.

"A $1500 compensation amount would be severely damaging to the small-scale minding industry in NSW," he said referring to demands around that range.

"We are definitely not in agricultural land. That's where everyone keeps mixing and messing this up. We are not in agricultural land. There's no agricultural land inside our district. We are pastoral leases."

The Western Plains App has contacted Lightning Ridge Miners Association for comment.