East Gippsland has traditionally been a very conservative region. Pollies pander to this image. The results below show 2 out of 3 East Gippsland people want an end to old growth logging and reckon logging should be moved out of native forests into plantations. The significance of this for all rural areas in Australia with logging conflicts is quite staggering. If East Gippsland reckons logging should stop - so must other 'red neck' regions.

Also consider that before this poll the industry and govt had blitzed the local media with their anti-conservationist propaganda, letters and 1/4 page ads showing nice foresters out with their clip boards looking thoughtful and responsible.

Also one in four interviewees were over 65 - so if anything this was a very conservative result. The questions were designed to be neutral. It cost us $7,000 so wasn't a cheap two bob job. It's as credible and squeeky clean as they come.

EAST GIPPSLAND OPINION POLL
ON ATTITUDES TOWARDS LOGGING

• Poll commissioned by CROEG on 21st April.

• 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%

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

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

Among other questions asked:

Are forests well managed and should Goolengook have been logged?

On NCS Pearson

This company 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.been logged.

The poll cost our small East Gippsland environment group $7000 of our meager funds. We 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 us.

What the media and industry have put out for years does not represent the true feelings of the public.