Tasmanian voters fell logging plan, seek tougher line on salmon farms, political donations and bad pollies

Polling suggests the Tasmanian Liberals have misread the electorate in planning to log native forests protected under the forestry ‘peace deal’.

Polling suggests the Tasmanian Liberals have misread the electorate in planning to log native forests protected under the forestry “peace deal”.

The polling, obtained by The Australian, was conducted by uComms on a host of policy issues, showing the Liberals’ plan to log 40,000ha of contentious forests is opposed by 57 per cent of Tasmanians.

Even more – 69 per cent – want significant curbs on salmon farming, while majorities back a tougher anti-corruption body and curbs on some corporate political donations.

“Around seven in 10 Tasmanians want salmon farming out of inshore waters, and nearly two in three do not want to see native forests logged,” said Eloise Carr, director of the Australia Institute Tasmania, which commissioned the poll of 1174 voters statewide.

“The science on these issues is clear – yet the two major parties keep ignoring the evidence and the will of the people to address the problem.”

Liberal Premier Jeremy Rockliff has argued the policy to harvest 40,000ha of a 356,000ha area protected under the 2012 Tasmanian Forest Agreement is necessary to meet sawlog quotas and provide resource security.

However, peak forest industry groups have been lukewarm and even hostile to the plan, with concerns it would restart the “forest wars” and destabilise access to markets.

The polling, conducted across Tasmania from March 4 to 5, shows 38.4 per cent were strongly opposed to the logging plan and 18.7 per cent opposed, with just 37.1 per cent supportive or strongly supportive.

More than 72 per cent of Labor voters oppose the logging plan, which is not backed by the ALP, while about 70 per cent of Liberal voters support it.

On salmon farming, about 69 per cent of all voters – including 51 per cent of Liberal voters – want fish pens reduced at inshore sites. And about 77 per cent support a stronger anti-corruption commission.

“Tasmanians are witnessing blatant pork barrelling by the government, even after the Integrity Commission found grants at previous elections did not meet the principles of accountability, openness, fairness or value for money,” Ms Carr said.

More than 58 per cent of those surveyed backed a ban on rent increases above the rate of inflation, while 57 per cent supported banning political donations from gambling, salmon and property interests.