Polling of Australia’s renewable energy zones again shows support for clean energy projects steady at 62%, with opposition steady at 17%.
Advocacy group Farmers for Climate Action (FCA) has released polling results from Renewable Energy Zones commissioned by the Renew Australia for All campaign, of which it is a signatory.
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The results reveal regional people are more united on clean energy than almost any other researched issue in the past 20 years. Those polled significantly underestimate support for clean energy in their communities: only 37% of local residents believe there is majority support for clean energy in their region, despite 62% actually supporting it.
The polling of nearly 2000 people across Renewable Energy Zones in New England NSW, Central West Orana NSW, Hunter NSW, Illawarra NSW, Gippsland Vic, Western Victoria, Gladstone Qld and then Central Queensland excluding Gladstone Qld (so as not to measure Gladstone twice) was conducted by 89 Degrees East in the second half of September. The margin for error was 2.11% at a confidence level of 95%.
Goulburn sheep farmer Dimity Taylor, who lives next door to a wind farm, said FCA respects the valid concerns of those opposed.
“It’s interesting that regional people are underestimating local support for clean energy, which suggests a quiet majority support clean energy while a minority oppose,” Taylor said.
“This is why we listen to farmers, not Facebook. The concerns raised by those opposed are valid: all clean energy projects must demonstrate how they’re good to nature and local communities.
“The numbers in this poll match the numbers in other polls by Porter Novelli, CSIRO, and previous FCA polling of regional areas. Despite the onslaught against climate change action and clean energy by some media and the endless bots on Facebook, opposition to clean energy projects has not grown.
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“FCA will continue to prosecute these facts and push clean energy companies to be good to nature and country communities, and for the government to expect this from industry.
“It’s great that we now have around 20GW worth of solar panels, the equivalent capacity of about 10 coal fired power stations, on city rooftops around Australia too. We’re all in this together and we’re all doing our bit.”
