Polling reveals voters in five key electorate support ending native forest logging

New polling has revealed an under-the-radar issue which could swing voters in vital key seats the both sides must either retain or are looking to win.

Support to end native forest logging could emerge as a key issue in five battleground seats, as Labor’s Nature Positive laws remain stuck in the Senate.

Pyxis polling commissioned by the Australian Conservation and Biodiversity Foundation found support to end the logging of native forests, which means logging would be limited to plantations, was widely supported in the three seats Labor must hold onto to maintain majority government.

This included bellwether seat Eden Monaro (60 per cent of voters) in southeastern NSW and Richmond (72 per cent), which takes in Tweed Heads, Byron Bay and Murwillumbah in the state’s north.

The issue is particularly pertinent in Tasmania, where Labor and the Coalition will fight to win Lyons, which is currently held by Labor of a wafer-thin 0.9 per cent margin.

While Tasmania accounts for 40 per cent of native forest log volume, polling said 58 per cent of voters in Lyons supported an end to the practice.

New polling revealed the majority of voters in five key electorates supported ending logging in native forests. Picture: NewsWire/ Monique Harmer

ACBF executive director Lyndon Schneiders urged the major political parties to take note of the polling and said policies on native forest logging could “shape the outcome of a knife-edge election”.

“There’s a clear message to all candidates and parties here: Voters want the Australian government to invest in our plantation timber industry to help build the homes we need to end the housing crisis while also funding more jobs in forest management, including protection against catastrophic bushfires,” he said.

While the practice is already banned in Victoria and Western Australia, Mr Schneiders said native forest logging was not only an “economic and environmental failure,” but also restricted Australia’s ability to reduce carbon emissions.

“Logging our native forests places further pressure on endangered species including the Koala, the Swift Parrot and the Greater Glider,” he said.

“Logging releases greenhouse gas emissions and overwhelmingly (by 76 per cent) ends up in low value products including woodchips.”

Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek says Labor would provide better regulation for native forest logging. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Despite backing down on demands for a climate trigger, the Greens have demanded the removal of Regional Forest Agreement exemptions in order to guarantee passage of Labor’s three Nature Positive bills.

The exemptions bypass national laws and allow logging to continue despite national environmental laws and apply to 10 specific commercial native forestry regions.

Although Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek has said she is in favour of more regulations on native forest logging, given its impact on endangered wildlife, she does not support ending the industry.

While the Greens claim they had reached a deal through negotiations with Ms Plibersek, the Bills remain stalled following an 11th hour intervention from Anthony Albanese, which the Prime Minister denies.

However, it’s understood the reported deal also did not include changes to the exemptions.

The stalled legislation designed to create a national environmental protection authority, implement tougher penalties and enforcement measures.

Ms Plibersek said she remained committed to passing the Nature Positive Bills, which she noted have languished in the Senate since August.

“As part of our Nature Positive Plan, native forest logging with be regulated by national environment laws for the first time ever, through National Environmental Standards,” she said.

“We are committed to reforming Australia’s broken environmental laws. They don’t protect our environment and they don’t work for business.”

Sarah Hanson-Young said voters were in support of ending loopholes that allow logging in native forests. Picture: NewsWire/ Martin Ollman

Greens environment spokeswoman Sarah Hanson-Young said it was evident an “overwhelming majority of voters want to close the loopholes that allow our native forests to be logged and bulldozed”.

“When Parliament returns in February the Prime Minister will have a choice: work with the Greens to protect our forests, or ram through his government’s laws that allow the logging of critical habitat to continue with Peter Dutton,” she said.

“We can end these logging loopholes before the election if the PM is constructive and willing to protect the environment. I urge the PM to respect public opinion and protect the environment instead of selling out to the logging and mining lobby.”

The Coalition’s environment spokesman Jono Duniam said calls to transition native forestry to plantations were “impractical and unrealistic,” and would not supply the amount of hardwood required.

He added ending native forestry in Australia could have unintended consequences which would result in the industry increasing in countries with “far weaker environmental laws, standards and regulations than ours”.

“Ending native forestry in Australia would be completely self-defeating and counter-productive, even for the most ardent environmentalist,” he said.

Originally published as Polling reveals voters in five key electorate support ending native forest logging