Qld: Poll shows green issues are vote winners
03 Mar 2009 3:54 PM
BRISBANE, March 3 AAP - Almost three-quarters of Queensland voters say environment policies will influence who they back at the March 21 election, according to a new poll.
An Auspoll of 1,016 Queenslanders commissioned by the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), released on Tuesday, showed strong voter interest in the environment, despite the major parties making the economy the key issue.
A total of 73 per cent said environmental issues would have a strong influence when it came to their vote.
Over two-thirds of respondents indicated they would respond favourably to policies for protecting rivers and coasts, saving the Great Barrier Reef, enhanced wildlife habitat and reduced global warming.
"Even in these tough economic times Queenslanders understand the importance of looking after our precious environment," WWF's Queensland program leader Nick Heath said.
"This poll provides irrefutable evidence Queenslanders are deeply concerned about the environment.
"If leaders act to protect our environment, they will be rewarded with strong community support."
Mr Heath said Queenslanders expressed deep misgivings about land clearing throughout the state, but few recognised the state's poor record on greenhouse gas emissions.
Fewer than one in five people said they knew Queensland emitted more carbon pollution than any other state, or that land clearing emitted twice the carbon of all the state's cars, trucks, trains and planes.
"The next government must act to ban the clearing of all endangered and threatened habitats in Queensland," Mr Heath said.
"This is essential to help protect hundreds of threatened animals and fight the threat of climate change."
