Voters in Mount Coot-tha, held by the Liberal National party by a margin of 5.4%, rate protecting reef above jobs, education and health in ReachTel poll

This article is more than 5 years old

This article is more than 5 years old

The need to protect the Great Barrier Reef resonates among voters in the inner suburbs of Brisbane as a key issue in the upcoming state election, according to a new poll.



Voters in Mount Coot-tha, a marginal Liberal National party government seat in the inner west of the city, ranked protecting the reef above privatisation, jobs, education and health as a decisive influence on their vote, research by ReachTel found.

The top concern, however, was economic management and reducing state debt, which 34.5% said was the biggest influence on their vote, compared to 19.4% who said the reef.

World Wildlife Fund Australia chief executive, Dermot O’Gorman, whose organisation commissioned the research, said it confirmed the reef was “a critical election issue for Queenslanders”.

“Nearly three quarters of those polled want stronger action to protect the reef from dumping, dredging and farm chemical run off,” O’Gorman said.

“Those sorts of figures can’t be ignored. All parties should take note that Queenslanders want them to step up their commitments to the Reef.

“Concern about the future of the Great Barrier Reef is so high that traditional election issues like health, education and jobs have been pushed down the list.”

Labor candidate for Mount Coot-tha, Steven Miles, who had told Guardian Australia a week before the poll that he had encountered a striking level of concern about the reef while campaigning, said he was “not surprised” by the results.

“I’ve been door knocking since April (last year) and people have well-informed concerns: they’re across the effect of dredging, they’re across the run off effect and of course they’re aware of the wider challenge of climate change,” he said.

Sitting LNP member Saxon Rice holds Mount Coot-tha by a margin of 5.4%.