New research published by the Australia Institute shows strong support amongst voters for extending the ban on native harvesting to include NSW and Tasmania.
The left-wing think tank engaged US-based market research company Dynata to conduct the survey online, interviewing 1,501 Australians about “their attitudes towards logging native forests in Australia.”
The research found that 75% of Labor and 57% of Coalition voters – not split into Liberal, National or LNP – supported exiting native forestry.
The results were tallied from a five-day sample size in early August, with “South Australia and Queensland “over-sampled” to produce more precise results.”Â
Respondents were told that the governments of Victoria and Western Australia would end native forest logging this year and asked whether they support or oppose an end to native forest logging in New South Wales and Tasmania.
According to the Australian Institute, the results are weighted against three variables and used the Australian Bureau of Statistics “National, state and territory population” datasets.
The ALP National Conference is meeting in Brisbane for three days from today, with more than 300 ALP branches reportedly supporting a motion by LEAN to end native forest harvesting.
The motion is part of LEAN’s ‘Measuring What Matters‘ manifesto and calls for an end to land clearing on agricultural lands.
It also has support from 250 Australian scientists, including ANU’s David Lindenmayer, the Univerity of Melbourne’s Brendan Wintle and the University of Queensland’s Hugh Possingham, who signed an open letter last week.
Key Findings of the survey include
- Seven out of 10 Australians (69%) support extending native forest logging bans to New South Wales and Tasmania.
- Most voters for each political party support an end to native forest logging in New South Wales and Tasmania.
- Three in four Labor voters (75%) and three in five Coalition voters (58%) support the policy.
- Support is highest among Greens voters (85%) and weakest among One Nation voters (57%).
- Most Australians in every age group support ending native forest logging in New South Wales and Tasmania.
- Support is highest among young Australians aged 18 to 29 (79%) and lowest among older Australians aged 60 and above (61%).
“After the WA and Victorian governments committed to ending native forest logging”, Ebony Bennett said, “Australian Institute research shows voters now want to see those bans extended to New South Wales and Tasmania as well.”
Ebony Bennett is the Deputy Director of the Australia Institute and hosts the popular webinar series ‘Follow the Money.’
“The continued logging of Australia’s native forests is not only deeply damaging to the climate and native plants and animals, but it is also unpopular among Australian voters, and that is especially true among supporters of the Labor Party.”
“These results show the time is right for ALP National Conference to amend its platform to support an end to native forest logging nationwide.”
“We are amid a climate crisis, and ending native forest logging makes sense from a social, environmental, economic and biodiversity perspective.
“Voters of all ages support Tasmanian and New South Wales joining Western Australia and Victoria to end native forest logging.”
The Australia Institute is a member of the Australian Polling Council.
The report’s appendix includes the polling methodology, lengthy disclosure statement, and margin of error for polling questions.
