The licence application covers approximately 264 square kilometres and would allow for the exploration of "Group 1" metallic minerals, according to the NSW Division of Resources and Geoscience.

Canowindra resident, Gemma Rygate said she was concerned other locals may not be aware of the proposal and is encouraging them to have their say on the matter.

"I have just anecdotally chatted to a few people around town and no one else has seen it either," she said.

Ms Rygate said the exploration area was extensive, taking in both urban and rural parts of the region.

"It covers a considerable part of the town, including the main street, the Catholic Church and the school and all of those areas, down the railway precinct, out the Escort Way and then going all the way out to the Nangar National Park," she said.

"It's really quite a massive amount of land and very significant land for the Canowindra district and I just think we need to try and stop it in its tracks."

She said the application would allow for exploration of prime agricultural land across the district.

"We really need to focus on being able to sustain ourselves, [with] the current COVID issues, we're not going to always be able to rely on importing food so we need to protect our agricultural land," she said.

"They're some of the most established and high producing agricultural properties in this whole district on that map, it's mind-boggling really."

Ms Rygate is encouraging residents and landholders to contact the relevant members of parliament if they have any objections to the proposal.

The Canowindra News has reached out to Member for Orange, Phil Donato for comment.

Residents can contact Mr Donato via orange@parliament.nsw.gov.au

More information can be found at http://commonground.nsw.gov.au/#!/title/ELA%206024/1992 or https://resourcesandgeoscience.nsw.gov.au/landholders-and-community/landholders-rights