Murrurundi Motel manager Simon Ford said yesterday that most of the town's residents were in favour of the mine, which is opposed by environmentalists fearing its impact on the nearby Pages River.

"We're concerned that the only thing that gets heard is the anti-Bickham voice, but the majority of people here support the project and what it can do for town like ours," Mr Ford said.

"We have businesses failing here all the time and we are losing essential services one after the other. If the mine gets up, then you get heavy industry coming in and you get a ripple effect with young families coming back in to town.

"That helps bring the services back and then having the services means that our retirees stay because they don't feel as though they need to go somewhere else."

He said opposition to the mine was being whipped up by the big horse studs south of Murrurundi.

"Bickham doesn't need the water from the river and we don't believe the mine will affect their water supply," Mr Ford said.

He said the rally would start at noon today at the IGA supermarket in the main street.