Riverina Greens rep welcomes stronger support for climate action shown in major YouGov poll

The YouGov study, commissioned by the Australian Conservation Foundation, found the majority of Riverina residents want the government to massively increase its emissions reduction targets.

The poll has been hailed as the biggest and most in-depth survey of Australian voters' attitudes to climate change and found a majority of voters in each federal seat believed that the federal government could do more to tackle global warming.

In the Riverina, support for stronger action was at 57 per cent and the belief greater climate action will help nature and wildlife survive extreme weather was held by 73 per cent.

About 60 per cent of voters do not believe new coal or gas power stations should be a priority for the federal government and 58 per cent say climate plans influence their vote.

Riverina Greens representative Jenny McKinnon said the results reflected the changing attitudes towards climate change from residents across the Riverina.

"I've been involved in these issues for a long time and it is certainly a big change from 10 or 20 years ago," she said.

"I think locally people have very much surprised me with their interest in climate action and their desire to get involved."

Dr McKinnon believed the devastating impact of nature events like the 2019/20 summer bushfires and the drought was making climate change "real" in the eyes of rural residents and driving the increased support.

She said the results of the poll are a clear sign for the Federal government to increase its actions against climate change and reducing carbon emissions.

"Individual people can only do so much, in terms of taking individual responsibility, sorting their garbage, doing recycling and trying to buy ethically," Dr McKinnon said.

"The big changes have to come at that government policy level, so we need to see the government get behind it and show that leadership because that's what more and more people in the Riverina and around Australia are asking for."

The YouGov poll was conducted through a nationally representative sample of more than 15,000 voting age Australians.

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The pollsters then used a method which harnesses census data - including population density, household income and education - to determine how the issue might be play out in a particular area.

The method was used for the first time in Australia after success in predicting the outcome of the 2019 UK elections and meant results could be broken down for each of the nation's 151 federal electorates in a statistically reliable way.

Australian Conservation Foundation chief executive officer Kelly O'Shanassy said the results "shatter the myth" that climate action is viewed one way in the bush and another way in the cities.

"Across the country, Australians are experiencing climate damage and demanding action from their elected representatives," she said.

"This poll reveals a groundswell of voters prioritising climate change as a key election issue in response to longer droughts and heatwaves, devastating bushfires and damaging floods."

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