PAY SOME ATTENTION

Voters told to get engaged as new poll reveals widespread apathy

THE first-ever opinion poll of a Hobart Lord Mayoral race has revealed voters are disengaged with the contest, even as ballot papers in the non-compulsory election arrive in letterboxes.

Of the 2680 people polled this week by EMRS, only 548 said they planned to vote in the election to decide who will be Hobart’s next Lord Mayor. And of that group, 42 per cent had not yet decided who to vote for.

University of Tasmania Associate professor Kate Crowley urged people to have their say: “The Hobart region … is going to be greatly transformed in the next five to 10 years, and so it’s really important that the community is involved.”

APATHY and indifference are the biggest winners in the firstever opinion poll conducted in the Hobart Lord Mayoral race.

The results of an EMRS poll of voters in the Hobart council area has revealed a massive tranche of voters who either don’t know who they will vote for or remain undecided, even as ballot papers reach their mailboxes.

The pollsters asked 2680 people if they planned to vote.

Of those, 548 said they did — and of those, 42 per cent were unable or unwilling to express a preference, leaving the final result wide open.

But Anna Reynolds has emerged as the favourite of those who have decided.

Ms Reynolds topped the poll of the remaining voters — with 15 per cent surveyed nominating her as their first choice.

Former Lord Mayor Damon Thomas was the first preference of 8 per cent of voters, as was Green Bill Harvey.

Marti Zucco and Jeff Briscoe follow on 6 per cent, while incumbent Lord Mayor Ron Christie enjoys the support of just 5 per cent of voters.

Robert Mallett recorded the support of 3 per cent of respondents and Mike Dutta, Peter Sexton and Tanya Denison all tied on 2 per cent.

Former Launceston City Council Alderman Darren Al- exander was nominated by 1 per cent of those surveyed.

Sue Hickey was elected Lord Mayor at the 2014 Local Government election, but is not standing again after being elected to State Parliament.

She edged out Damon Thomas, who was slightly ahead on primary votes, but fell into second place once preferences were taken into account.

None of the other 2014 candidates is running as a mayoral candidate in this year’s poll. In addition to the 11 candidates for Lord Mayor, there are 11 candidates for deputy and 36 candidates vying for 12 positions as aldermen.

Former political correspondent and Font PR managing director Becher Townshend said the number of undecided voters meant the race was wide open.

“While this poll is, at best, indicative given voluntary voting and the high number of undecideds — many of whom won’t vote — it suggests a race in four between Reynolds, Harvey, Thomas and Zucco with … Anna Reynolds in the box seat,” he said.

“If former Lord Mayor Damon Thomas is going to regain the mayoral robes he is going to have to work very hard to convince this undecided group of people and then to get them to vote.

“Dumping the Greens and running as an independent may yet prove to be Ms Reynolds’ smartest political play.”

University of Tasmania As- sociate Professor of public policy Kate Crowley urged voters to pay attention this election to the issues set to govern the future of Hobart such as building heights and traffic.

“The Hobart region in particularly is going to be greatly transformed in the next five to 10 years and so it’s really important that the community is involved in the decision-making around that,” she said.

“I think the apathy expresses that people don’t appreciate how important local government is.

“If people are not going to stay at home and not vote at the local level then it begs the question of why we need all these councils.”

Election analyst Kevin Bonham said it was possible to read too much into the polling — which he said was the first he could remember at the local government level in the past 20 years.

“We don’t know a lot about council polling because it hasn’t been done before for Hobart, so we have very little idea of how accurate this is,” Dr Bonham said.

“I think what it does say is that Anna Reynolds being a contender at least.

“What you don’t know whether the high number of undecided voters are going to break the same way, and my suspicion is that they will not.”

The polls in the postal ballot close on October 30.