Parties vying to replace Hunter MP Joel Fitzgibbon in the upcoming Federal election should be aware that a majority of voters in the electorate do not see new coal and gas as part of Australia’s energy future.
Australia’s biggest and most in-depth survey of voters’ opinions on climate change found a majority of voters in every electorate want more action to tackle climate change.
Across the Hunter Valley the survey results reveal less than 40% of voters view new coal and gas plants as part of Australia’s future energy mix.
- 34% in Hunter
- 29% in Newcastle
- 38% in Parkes
- 32% in Paterson
“Australia’s biggest climate poll debunks the myth that so-called ‘coal’ electorates oppose climate action,” said ACF’s climate change program manager Gavan McFadzean.
“Even in seats like Parkes, Hunter, Paterson and Newcastle, 60 to 70% of voters want to see more action on climate change.
“A clear majority in the Hunter do not see coal and gas as part of Australia’s energy future.
“The poll shows Australians reject the government’s gas-led recovery.
“Across Australia, most voters want more renewable energy.”
The survey was of a nationally representative sample of more than 15,000 Australian voters aged 18+ and used multilevel regression with poststratification (MRP) analysis for the first time in Australia. It was conducted by YouGov and released by the Australian Conservation Foundation (ACF) two weeks ago.
The MRP tool combines census data such as population density, education and household income with polling data to construct an estimate of how issues would play out in that specific geographic area. It allows for the poll to be broken down by electorates as well as demographics in a statistically reliable way.
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