Majority of Australians opposed to new coal mine: survey

Almost two thirds of Australians are opposed to the controversial Carmichael coal mine of the Adani Group, a poll has revealed.

According to the results of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Vote Compass, which asked 119,682 respondents for their views on a series of key issues in Saturday's general election, 61 percent of Australians either strongly or somewhat disagree that the coal mine should be built.

Only 20 percent of respondents wanted the project to go ahead while 13 percent were neutral on the issue and five percent did not know.

The proposed 2 billion Australian dollar mine in central Queensland has been a major source of tension within both the incumbent Liberal-National party coalition (LNP) and Opposition Australian Labor Party (ALP) in the election campaign.

Environmental groups have expressed concerns that the proposed site would encroach on the habitats of endangered native species and that it could even harm the iconic Great Barrier Reef.

Vote Compass found that ALP and Greens voters were most likely to oppose Adani but support was higher in electorates closer to the proposed site in the Galilee Basin.

In rural Queensland, 48 percent of respondents wanted the mine built while 38 percent were opposed. By comparison, only 26 percent were supportive in inner-metropolitan Queensland.