Landowners in Sussex demanded assurances that a natural gas pipeline won't destroy their fields and farms at hearings into the proposal held this week in Saint John.

The Public Utilities Board heard final arguments about the pipeline on Thursday. Corridor Resources wants to connect the McCully gas field to a major pipeline that crosses New Brunswick.

Beth Nixon, who lives in Penobsquis, said farmers don't want to stop Corridor from building a pipeline, but they want to be reassured that their land won't suffer.

"Sometimes I wish natural gas was never discovered in our community," she said.

"There's no question a pipeline is required. The question is, who will put it in, who will maintain it, and what conditions including environmental and safety concerns are put on to it?"

David Norman, who represented Corridor Resources at the PUB hearing, said the gas field is good news for the community.

"There has not been a single intervener who disagrees with the development of the gas resources."

George Horton of the Kings East Development Partnership said the local business group wants the PUB to approve the construction permit so a branch pipeline can be fed into a proposed energy park in Sussex.

"The only way that we can develop local industries to take advantage of this gas is to get a direct line to be able to get the commodity directly from Corridor into the park," he said. 

The PUB hasn't said when it will rule on whether the pipeline can be built.