WA Premier Colin Barnett has lashed out at people who are saying fracking will occur in the South West.
Mr Barnett said it was a scare campaign and there were no applications for fracking in the region.
Fracking is the process where a hydraulic fracture is made into a rock going kilometres into the ground with pressurized liquid to retrieve oil and or gas.
Concern was raised over the issue when the government released land between Bunbury and Busselton for gas and oil exploration.
The Conservation Council of WA has warned the government that the South West was against the process.
Conservation Council Director Piers Verstegen said oil and gas companies would come against strong opposition if they decided to invest in the South West.
“South West communities recently worked to prevent a coal mining proposal from going ahead in the Margaret River area, and gas fracking proposals would face even tougher opposition,” Mr Verstegen.
However, Mr Barnett said the concern was unwarranted because the horror stories from over east did not apply to WA.
“There is concern in the east coast with the coal seam gas level but the level is much lower in WA,” he said.
He also said it was the Liberal Party that fought strongly against a coal mine in Margaret River.
The issue was also brought up at the Vasse by-election community forum on Monday night where there was strong opposition.
Liberal candidate Libby Mettam did not say she opposed fracking but instead “would represent the people of Vasse and their concerns”.
“I never claimed to be an expert on this issue. I know that there is no current proposal and if there was a proposal I would look at whether it would affect our valuable agricultural and tourism industries as well as our environment and water supply,” she said on Facebook.