Research finds the environment among top 5 issues on the minds of voters
Only 14% of respondents are not at all concerned about the loss of plants and animals in their local area, while more than one third of respondents are very or extremely concerned. Pictured: Members of the Darwin community protesting against a Defence Australia Housing development in 2023, which was set to clear 132.5 hectares of tropical savanna habitat. Image source: Orange.2023 CC BY 4.0 Wikimedia Commons.
Media Release
18 March 2025
New research conducted by Monash University’s BehaviourWorks Australia for the Biodiversity Council has revealed that most Australians are concerned about the state and future of nature, regardless of who they vote for.
The cost of living is the top issue for voters, but the environment is now close to housing, healthcare and the economy in terms of the number of people who rate it as a top policy concern for the country.
Concern for the environment was high among voters of all parties and very high among swing voters and people who vote independent.
The findings come from a survey of 3,500 people on attitudes toward nature conservation, which was released in a major report today.
To ensure the findings accurately represent the views of the community, survey respondents were selected to match ABS data on age, gender, region and urban and rural areas in the Australian population.
The environment is now close to housing, healthcare and the economy in terms of the number of people who rate it as a top policy concern for the country. Levels of support are ranked, with the highest at the top (cost of living), and the lowest at the bottom (foreign affairs).
Biodiversity Council Lead Councillor Professor Liam Smith from Monash University’s BehaviourWorks Australia was a senior scientist in the research.
“We found high levels of community concern across a wide range of biodiversity issues such as declines in pollinators, impacts of bird flu on native wildlife, and land clearing for urban development.
“The top three biodiversity issues that Australians are most concerned about are increasing levels of waste and pollution in the environment, the possible extinctions of native animals, and the loss of natural places.
“The vast majority of Australians (86%) expressed at least some concern about the decline of native plants and animals in their local area.”
70% of respondents said that they felt responsible for nature. Image source: Candy Retriever iStock
Biodiversity Council Director James Trezise said that the current survey found a decline in peoples’ perceptions of the federal government's management of the environment and a low level of trust in political parties to tackle the extinction crisis.
“The results of this third year of the survey show that community concern about the environment and demand for greater action to protect nature is still high and has increased since the last election.
‘At the same time we see growing dissatisfaction with the federal government’s performance and lower levels of trust in the major parties to look after the environment when compared to minor parties and independents’.
“Only 20% of Australians trust the federal government as a source of information on the environment. Researchers and scientists are the most trusted sources of information, with 61% of people saying they trust them.
“Almost all Australians (95%) believe that more of the federal budget should be dedicated to nature protection. And only a quarter of people think the current Australian Government is doing a good job of protecting the environment.”
Voters queuing to vote in the seat of Kooyong in 2022. Independent candidate Dr Monique Ryan won the seat ahead of Liberal incumbent Josh Frydenberg. Image source: David Redfern CC BY SA 2.0 Flickr
Post-doctoral Research Fellow Dr Meg Shaw from Monash University’s BehaviourWorks Australia is part of the research team.
"This project gives us a deeper insight into how much Australians value nature—whether it's the national parks we explore, the protected areas safeguarding our wildlife from extinction, or the trees and animals that enrich our urban spaces," Dr Shaw said.
"This year’s Biodiversity Concerns Survey sends a clear message—Australians are deeply concerned about the future of nature and expect bold action to protect it."
"The survey shows that Australians are becoming more aware of the challenges facing biodiversity, increasingly concerned about environmental issues, and placing a higher priority on nature—while calling more strongly for greater protection."
"This survey reveals not just what Australians think about biodiversity but also how deeply we care about protecting it. It shows that Australians not only enjoy nature, but are proud of the unique and spectacular plants, animals, and environments found here."
Dr Meg Shaw from Monash University's BehaviourWorks Australia social research team. Photo: Sally Fuik-Burgemeestre
The survey also asked participants about whether they support a variety of environmental policies that governments may be considering. It found that people are around 15 times more likely to support than to oppose:
- strengthening nature protection laws,
- establishing national environmental standards,
- requiring native forest logging to be regulated by national environmental law,
- establishing a network of marine protected areas that protect at least 30% of different marine habitats,
- establishing new national parks to protect natural and cultural values, and
- protecting native species' habitats from development.
The research team also included social scientists from The University of Queensland, The University of Adelaide, Melbourne University and RMIT University.
