Poll respondents favour unconventional gas ban and Victorian Coalition
NATALIE KOTSIOS, The Weekly Times
August 10, 2016 12:00am
MORE than 55 per cent of Victorians support a permanent statewide ban on unconventional gas, a new poll shows.
And — in a surprise result — polling shows the Victorian Coalition would lead Labor on first preference votes if a state election were called today, racking up 39.5 per cent compared with Labor’s 32.7 per cent.
The ReachTEL poll, commissioned by Friends of the Earth, comes as the Andrews Government prepares to unveil its response to a parliamentary inquiry on unconventional gas, including whether the current fracking moratorium will be extended.
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Yes 80.05% (313 votes)
No 19.95% (78 votes) Total Votes: 391
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The policy was expected before the Victorian Parliament resumes next week. However, Resources Minister Wade Noonan told
The Weekly Timesit would “make a decision and respond to the inquiry’s recommendations this month”.
GAS BAN PRESSURE MOUNTS
In the poll, conducted last Thursday, 1137 residents statewide were asked if they supported “a permanent onshore gas and fracking ban to protect against damage to water resources and important agricultural industries”.
Results showed 55.1 per cent in favour of a permanent ban. Just 9.7 per cent of people opposed it, and 32.5 per cent were undecided.
Support was highest among 51-65 year-olds (61.8 per cent), followed by 35-50 year-olds (54.6 per cent).
More than 85 per cent of people also expressed concern about the perceived risks of fracking; only 14.5 per cent said they were not concerned at all.
EDITORIAL: POLL LEAKS INFLUENCE FOR POLICY
Friends of the Earth spokeswoman Chloe Aldenhoven said the results were in addition to 75 rural communities declaring themselves gas field-free.
“We know opposition to onshore gas has been consistent across all rural areas but we’re very heartened to see this is also being reflected by more urban communities — they care about the country too,” she said.
“This is a basic democratic issue, the majority of people don’t want onshore gas to go ahead and it’s now the Government’s job to reflect the will of the people.”
The results come after Shell Australia chairman Andrew Smith last week warned the onshore gas debate must not be based on “scare campaigns from activists in coffee shops in Fitzroy”.
Mr Smith told the Melbourne Mining Club that moratoriums on unconventional gas ignored scientific data, and that the sector should be developed as a back-up to renewable energy, an argument also made recently by Federal Energy and Environment Minister Josh Frydenberg.
Asked if the poll questions could be perceived as loaded towards the environmentalists’ case, Ms Aldenhoven disagreed. “The body of evidence is beginning to show those risks are real ... I do think it’s a reality that onshore gas is a risk,” she said.
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