Polling shows Territorians want new NT Nature Laws to halt deforestation and protect threatened species

The Wilderness Society has today released polling that shows strong community support for new laws to protect the Territory’s world class nature.

The results of a representative sample of 1,317 Territorians across three electorates–Sanderson, Fannie Bay and Braitling–shows that voters strongly support NT Nature Laws.

Two-thirds of residents across all three electorates want to see new laws in the Northern Territory to properly regulate deforestation.

70% of residents living in Sanderson, Braitling and Fannie Bay support new NT nature laws to give stronger protections to habitat and species threatened with extinction, such as the Gouldian finch & Northern quoll.

These results were recorded prior to the explosive ABC Four Corners investigation this week which has only deepened community concerns about the NT’s weak legal protections for nature. To date, ECNT, TWS and Birdlife Top End have collected nearly 15,000 signatures in support of new nature laws for the NT.

“This polling clearly shows that the overwhelming majority of people want better protections for the Territory’s globally significant savanna,” said Jenita Enevoldsen, Senior Campaigner for the Wilderness Society.

“There has been more than 45,000 hectares of deforestation in the NT since 2000. On average, each clearing event has affected habitat for no fewer than 12 federally-listed species threatened with extinction. None of this deforestation was assessed by the NT EPA, or under federal environment laws.”

“The polling shows Territorians want new NT nature laws to stop this unscrutinised destruction of precious habitat for species threatened with extinction.”

Allana Brown, Biodiversity Policy Officer with the Environment Centre NT said;

“The Territory has some of the world’s most incredible nature but we have a weak, piecemeal regulatory system that was never intended to protect it. It’s clear from these polling results that the community wants to see stronger nature protections in the NT.

“The Territory is unique in that we still have these vast, intact natural landscapes. This is a reason to protect it, rather than let the bulldozers rip. But we can no longer take our mighty rivers and savanna woodlands for granted. They are under threat on many fronts, from the cotton industry, massive industrial developments like fracking, Middle Arm and pervasive impacts from fire, weeds and ferals.

“Political commitment to new NT nature laws will demonstrate that the government does care about our precious natural places, unique wildlife and irreplaceable cultural heritage as much as Territorians do.”

Appendix 1: uComms Polling Summary

The Wilderness Society commissioned uComms to conduct a survey of 1,317 respondents across the Divisions of Sanderson, Braitling and Fannie Bay between 30th July – 13th August 2024. This was based on self-completed and open-ended automated SMS and Voice polling methodology.

Two-thirds of residents living in Sanderson, Braitling and Fannie Bay support new laws in the Northern Territory to properly regulate deforestation when told that land clearing and deforestation rubber stamped approval rates have increased by over 300% since the ban on the Cotton industry was lifted in the NT in 2018 and that NT does not currently have deforestation laws.

70% of residents living in Sanderson, Braitling and Fannie Bay support new NT nature laws to give stronger protections to habitat and species threatened with extinction, such as the Gouldian finch.

Since the ban on the Cotton industry was lifted in 2018, land clearing and deforestation rubber stamped approval rates have increased in the NT by over 300%. Currently, the NT is the only jurisdiction in the country without deforestation laws. Do you support new laws to properly regulate deforestation?

	Sanderson	Braitling	Fannie Bay
Strongly Support	43.2%	45.4%	43.8%
Support	23.6%	22.7%	23.2%
Oppose	11.5%	8.8%	11.4%
Strongly Oppose	7.1%	7.5%	7.1%
Unsure/Don’t Know	14.5%	15.6%	14.5%
TOTAL SUPPORT	66.8%	68.1%	67%

Do you support new NT nature laws to give stronger protections to habitat and species threatened with extinction, such as the Gouldian finch?

	Sanderson	Braitling	Fannie Bay
Strongly Support	42.2%	43.6%	43.0%
Support	28.2%	27.5%	27.4%
Oppose	11.6%	11.0%	11.6%
Strongly Oppose	3.6%	5.1%	4.0%
Unsure/Don’t Know	14.4%	12.8%	14.1%
TOTAL SUPPORT	70.4%	71.1%	70.4%

For enquiries please contact:

Rhiannon Cunningham, Media Adviser for the Wilderness Society, on 0419 992 760 or [email protected]

Authorised by A. Young, the Wilderness Society, 132 Davey St, Hobart TAS 7000