The majority of voters (57.4%) in the NSW state seat of Upper Hunter support former PM Malcolm Turnbull’s call for a moratorium on new coal mine approvals and a remediation plan for existing mines for the Hunter Valley.

The Australia Institute surveyed a nationally representative sample of 686 residents in the NSW state seat of Upper Hunter during the nights of the 7th and 8th of April 2021.

Key findings:

• The majority of voters (57.4%) in the NSW state seat of Upper Hunter support former PM Malcolm Turnbull’s call for a moratorium on new coal mine approvals and a remediation plan for existing mines for the Hunter Valley.
• Of the 57.4% who support, one in three voters (34.1%) strongly support. Meanwhile, of the 35.1% of voters oppose, 16.3% strongly oppose.
• Majority support for moratorium on new coal mines in the Hunter was observed across most voting intentions, Nationals voters 54.1% support, Labor voters 69.8% support, Greens voters 91.3% support, Shooters Fishers & Farmers Party 56.7% support.
• Vast majority support (89.5%) the idea that coal mining companies should have to pay an upfront bond to fully cover the costs of rehabilitating their mine sites once mining operations cease, with only 6.8% disagreeing.