Poll: No Mill

Paul Oosting Wilderness Society Media Release 5 September, 2007

Tasmanians do NOT want the pulp mill

Polls continue to show majority opposition to Gunns’ proposed pulp mill …

POLL results in Tasmanian have consistently shown that the people of Tasmanian do not want Gunns’ proposed pulp mill. An opinion poll carried out by Newspoll for the Wilderness Society in the northern Tasmanian electorate of Bass last week shows a clear majority of voters are opposed to the proposed pulp mill in the Tamar Valley.

“Gunns’ advertisement placed in the Wentworth Courier today is misleading because it claims that Tasmanians support the mill. They don’t”, said Paul Oosting pulp mill campaigner for The Wilderness Society.

The Newspoll showed that 53% of voters in Bass are opposed to the proposed Tamar Valley pulp mill with 35% in favour. In a clear message to the politicians, 44% were strongly opposed to the pulp mill versus only 21% strongly in favour. This follows up numerous other polls carried out this year across Tasmania as a whole that show similar opposition to the pulp mill.

A compilation of polls on the proposed pulp mill is featured on the website of Tasmanian’s Against the Pulp mill (TAP):
http://www.tapvision.info/node/127

TasPoll which was commissioned by TAP in April this year to survey 1 000 Tasmanians in the northern 63 telephone district with the question – are you in favour of the current proposal to build a pulp mill in the Tamar valley? Found that:

• Yes 36.2%;
• No 45.7%;
• Don’t know 18.1%.
• On a two answer preferred basis; yes = 44%, no = 56%.

Newspoll results

This survey was conducted by telephone among a representative sample of 400 voters in the electorate of Bass in northern Tasmania on 27, 28 August 2007 for the Wilderness Society

Now, thinking about the Tamar Valley. It’s been proposed that a pulp mill be built in the Tamar Valley. Before today had you heard or not heard about the proposed pulp mill.
Yes 99%
No 1%

Based on whatever you may know about it, would you personally be in favour or against this proposed pulp mill being built in the Tamar Valley?
Strongly in favour 21%
Total in favour 35%

Strongly against 44%
Total against 53%

Neither / don’t know 12%

Thinking now about oldgrowth forests in Tasmania. Some areas of oldgrowth forest in Tasmania are protected from logging, while others are not. Would you personally be in favour or against all areas of oldgrowth forest in Tasmania being protected from logging?
Strongly in favour 48%
Total in favour 65%

Strongly against 14%
Total against 29%

Neither / don’t know 6%

If a political party adopted a policy to protect all oldgrowth forest in Tasmania would you personally be more likely to vote for that party, less likely to vote for that party, or would it make no difference to your vote?
More likely 39%
Less likely 13%
No difference 46%
Don’t know 3%

Federal Opposition Leader Kevin Rudd has announced his policy would be that all oldgrowth forests that are currently not protected would remain unprotected and be available for logging. Would you personally be in favour of Mr Rudd’s policy that all unprotected oldgrowth forests remain unprotected and be available for logging, or would you be against this policy?
Strongly in favour 12%
Total in favour 29%

Strongly against 36%
Total against 61%

Neither / Don’t know 10%