Community members have been invited to an information evening at the Forrest Hall from 7pm tomorrow (Friday September 16) that includes presentations from Friends of the Earth (FoE) campaigns co-ordinator Cam Walker, a local water conservationist and a representative from the Victorian Environment Defenders Office (EDO).

The event has been organised by district residents and was prompted by the Department of Primary Industries' decision to grant a five-year exploration licence for coal-bed methane to ECI International and CFT CBM Holdings.

Five hundred square kilometres is covered by the licence, including parts of the Otway Ranges and tracts of prime agricultural land.

Colac, Forrest and Gellibrand and Barongarook are among communities in the exploration area.

Speakers at tomorrow night's information evening will discuss the environmental impacts of coal seam gas mining, landholders' rights and obligations and legal issues surrounding the Mining Act.

FoE and various environmental groups are also running a coal seam gas roadshow that will make stops in Warrnambool and Colac next month.

All of the free forums are to feature Australian Greens co-founder Drew Hutton, a Queenslander who is president of the Lock the Gate Alliance.

Attendees will also hear from representatives of the EDO and FoE, along with a speaker from a local partner group.

The roadshow aims to highlight the impact new fossil fuel expansion could have on Victoria's landscapes, communities, food supply and climate.

It will be held at Warrnambool's Archie Graham Centre on October 3 from 7.30pm, and at the Colac RSL from 7pm on October 4.

Mr Walker said FoE had been pleased to see Mecrus Resources withdraw its application for coal and coal seam gas exploration in the south-west earlier this year.

He said there were about 30 Victorian exploration licences presently being sought that included coal seam gas.

"The situation is very murky - it's very hard to get information about the state of play with these exploration licences and so I think that's ringing alarm bells for people," Mr Walker said.

"If you look interstate and look at the problems . . . it's just logical that our government should act.

"We've got an issue - the premier needs to look into this and he needs to put a moratorium on coal seam gas until we can figure out what the impact will be on our food production and our ground water at the very least."

Opponents of the coal seam gas industry have argued that gas extraction and fracking - pumping a mixture of water, sand and chemicals underground at high pressure to force more gas out of a well - can breach the clay or rock layers between aquifers.

This could ruin clean water that was being relied upon by farmers.