Having worked with communities in Central Queensland, Brisbane-based community group Six Degrees will now be holding community forums in Wandoan and Chinchilla on Thursday and Friday.

The meetings will be held:

* Wandoan Bowls Club, Thursday November 27, 6pm.

* Chinchilla, Club Hotel, Friday November 28, 6pm.

Increasing coal exploration and development across the state has prompted this independent investigation of the social, economic and environmental effects of the coal industry on the lives of everyday Queenslanders.

According to the tour spokesperson, Bradley Smith, what makes this tour unique is that it is all about listening.

"Decisions about the coal industry in Queensland are made in distant boardrooms and in bureaucrats' offices, and often without taking into account how the lives and livelihoods of the people in these communities will be affected," Mr Smith said.

"Farmers in the Darling Downs have expressed their concerns about expansion of the coal industry on agricultural land. We're interested in hearing these perspectives and others, first hand.

"While we often hear about the benefits of the coal industry, through our conversations we are also beginning to understand the hidden costs of mining in rural Queensland."

'Listening posts' are being set up in a variety of public spaces, where local residents are able to share their views, concerns and ideas with trained volunteers from Brisbane universities.

These conversations culminate in a community forum, where residents can discuss commonalities with other towns, build a vision for the future and identify steps to bring about this vision.

The community responses will be published as a series of reports and made freely available to participants, community groups and local residents, as well as formally submitted to the state and local governments, coal companies and research organisations working in the coal regions of Queensland.

"In making this information widely available, we hope that these reports will provide a way for decision-makers to get a better understanding of how coal affects people's lives," Mr Smith said.