The Voice to Parliament is not attracting majority support in Orange, an exclusive new poll suggests.
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Well over half of all Colour City respondents said they intended to vote "no" at this year's referendum. Just under a third indicated support.
The latest survey was conducted by the Australian Community Media, which owns the Central Western Daily.
More than 10,000 newspaper readers were polled across Canberra, Illawarra, Newcastle, Launceston, Ballarat, Burnie, Warrnambool, Bendigo, Bathurst, Wodonga, Tamworth, Wagga Wagga, and Dubbo.
Overall support in the 14 towns sat at 38 per cent. 55 per cent said they would vote "no" and 7 per cent were "undecided."
Voters in big cities were about 5 per cent more likely to vote "yes" than their regional compatriots.
In Orange 33 per cent of respondents said they would vote "yes." 58 per cent said they would vote "no" and 9 per cent were "undecided."
Dubbo had the highest concentration of "no" voters, with 72 per cent. Canberra was the only majority "yes" city at 53 per cent.
By state and territory, the ACT recorded the highest support followed by NSW (36 per cent), Tasmania (35 per cent), and Victoria (34 per cent).
Town-by-town sample sizes leave a margin of error of about 4 per cent. Daily newspaper readers may not be reflective of the broader electorate.
The figures represent a sizable - and potentially existential - downturn in support.
A smaller-scale ACM poll in January recorded 63 per cent overall support from about 1000 respondents. At the time, 24 per cent said they would vote "no" and 14 per cent were unsure.
The Voice referendum aims to enshrine constitutional recognition for Indigenous Australians and establish a body to advise the federal parliament on Aboriginal affairs including health, education, jobs, and housing.
Proponents say this will advance national reconciliation and improve efforts to tackle indigenous issues by providing a direct line of communication between communities and legislators.
Sceptics primarily say the federal body would be a top-heavy bureaucracy unable to effectively represent people "on the ground."
Several bodies including Orange City Council have endorsed the "yes" campaign. Staff resources will be offered but no significant cost to ratepayers are expected.
Deputy mayor Gerald Power - who was not recognised as an Australian citizen when born in 1961 - spearheaded the push.
"I never thought we'd have a chance in my lifetime to include us as first nation people in the constitution ... It will affect all Indigenous people of this amazing nation, including around here in Orange," he told the Central Western Daily at the time.
Last year Member for Calare Andrew Gee reported his decision to quit the National Party was partially driven by its opposition to a Voice to Parliament.
A host of Federal politicians met at the Orange Civic Centre in April, 2023 to consult with Indigenous Elders as part of the consultation process to finalise wording.
The Voice was proposed by Indigenous leaders in 2018 as part of the Uluru Statement from the Heart.
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