EAST GIPPSLAND OPINION POLL ON ATTITUDES TOWARDS LOGGING

Poll commissioned by CROEG on 21st April.

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Conducted by NCS Pearson, Market Research company.
Computer Assisted Telephone Interviews (CATI) conducted evenings 24th and 26th April. Results returned – 6th May.
Total number polled – 400.
Error margin – 5%, or 95% confidence level.
Sampling method – random from East Gippsland post code areas.
Demographics – interviewees reflected population distribution, age and gender as close as possible (to within 3%) from the East Gippsland Shire statistical local area.
24% of interviewees were over 65 (in Orbost it was 29%)
7% of respondents worked in the logging industry

Questions –

1. Do you think the RFA for East Gippsland has worked?

Yes -15%
No - 50%

2. Which do you think has greater potential for providing secure, long term jobs in East Gippsland?

Logging 29%
Tourism 59%

3. Do you think old growth native forests should be clearfell logged?

Yes 23%
No 67%

4. If there was an alternative for providing sawn timber – such as plantations, would you agree with phasing logging out of native forests?

Yes 70%
No 24%

(Plantations exist across the border, closer than the export woodchip mill. As plantations are 10 times more productive than native forests, small areas of marginal land could be used for the industry’s needs)

5. Is there too much woodchipping, too little, just enough?

Too much – 46%
Too little – 6%
Just right – 23%

(In the ‘woodchip epicentre’ of Victoria, more people think woodchip levels are too high).

Among other questions asked:

Are forests well managed and should Goolengook have been logged? Slightly more people thought they weren’t well managed and that Goolengook shouldn’t have been logged.

There is no clear support for what the government did with Goolengook. There is no clear support for the way the NRE manages the forests.

On NCS Pearson

Is an international media company with almost $11 billion in revenue. Among its customers: Department of Defence, Department Employment, Education and Training, KPMG, McDonalds, Nestles, Red Cross etc.

The poll cost the small East Gippsland environment group $7000 of their meager funds. Could have commissioned a $4000 poll but wanted it to be spotless and credible. CROEG has been campaigning for forests for the past 20 years – this has finally shown how much support is out there locally for their stand.

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