SURVEY AN INTERESTING SNAPSHOT OF LOCAL VIEWS
October 7, 2013
Earlier this year I distributed a survey to each household in Gippsland seeking views on a range of local, state and national issues.
Surveys of this nature are not overly scientific but they do provide an interesting snapshot of community opinions, ideas and expectations.
One section of the survey asked for an unprompted response on the biggest issues facing our nation’s future. Among the 3000 people who responded to the survey, the main concerns listed in this section were: asylum seekers, local jobs, public transport, road funding and the state of the national budget.
Other concerns relating to health and education services, aged care and environmental issues were also raised but not as frequently as the top five.
The responses were largely consistent with my expectations after attending various community forums, meeting with Gippslanders and monitoring local media. The feedback provided will assist me in my efforts to fairly represent the views of Gippslanders in Parliament which is not always a straightforward task given the diversity of opinions in our community.
For example, the issue of Coal Seam Gas exploration and production was presented as a question in the survey with 37% of people expressing their support; 47% opposed and 16% undecided. Given the lack of easy to understand information on the topic, and the failure of industry groups to respond to some of the more extreme comments in the media, this is an issue that may continue to evolve.
In contrast, the region’s view on the carbon tax appears quite settled with 77% of respondents to the survey expressing their opposition. Similarly, concerns over food being imported from foreign countries was recognised as a problem by 96% of respondents.
In other interesting results: work for the dole should be compulsory according to 84% of respondents; 60% of people supported a properly controlled duck hunting season; and 66% of survey respondents opposed same-sex marriage.
Again, these figures should be not be seen as conclusive results as the survey was not random and people chose whether they could be bothered filling in a form which was sent directly to their home. But they are food for thought.
The full list of results to questions is available on my website www.darrenchester.com and as always, I am keen to hear from local residents who wish to express a view on issues affecting our community.
My focus as a local MP remains the same: providing the best possible representation I can for all Gippslanders, not just the people who voted for me on September 7. My offices in Traralgon and Sale are available to help people with Federal Government issues and I make myself available to attending community functions and meet with residents whenever Parliamentary commitments allow.
The new Federal Coalition Government must restore confidence in our community by delivering certainty and stability and I intend to play a constructive role in promoting issues of concern to Gippslanders at every opportunity.