Colleen Fuller wants the state and federal governments to "urgently progress" the Shenhua mine and Vickery extension project.

"Gunnedah, like any other country town, is not in a very good state," Cr Fuller said at yesterday's council meeting.

"When we have mines ready to go ... I'm just a little bit disappointed that government hasn't come forward and moved on this a little quicker.

"The direct jobs that it's going to create for this town will be massive ... I'd like to think that our young people can stay in our town."

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She asked for her fellow councillors' support "in going forward and making sure that our ministers start to look after Gunnedah ... and push our cause for more mining for this region".

Cr Owen Hasler suggested a change in wording, saying the motion implied the projects should "go ahead irrespective of effects on those people who may have objections".

He said the council had "never been anti-mining" but it was important that the proposals go through "a rigorous, independent, scientifically based approval process".

"Any suggestion that that process should be forgotten in the case of these two mining proposals would be, I believe, counter-productive to what the community has asked ... our government to implement," he said.

Cr Hasler said people in the area had been "extremely concerned about how their properties ... will be potentially affected".

"We don't want to see ... farming communities already disadvantaged by drought, being negatively impacted, or having the perception of being negatively impacted, because we have asked the government to forgo this scientific, rigorous independent approval process," he said.

Cr John Campbell said it was "all in the wording" and supported the amendment along with Cr Ann Luke. The motion was carried.