A public opinion poll on attitudes to uranium shows more than half of Australia"s population supports uranium mining.

Australian Uranium Association executive director Michael Angwin says: "The poll is a solid vote of confidence in the industry as it expands to contribute to Australia"s economic well-being and to help address the climate change challenge.

"The polling shows 50% of Australians support the uranium mining industry with 39% opposed and 11% unsure.

"In every state more people support the industry than not. In addition 75% of respondents believe uranium will make a very big or quite big contribution to Australia's economy in future and 59% were in favour of Australian uranium being used to supply energy needs overseas."

Michael Angwin says that respondents believed uranium mining brought economic benefits, especially exports and jobs; and had environmental benefits, especially that as a fuel it led to fewer emissions.

"The vast majority of Australians, 92%, believe Australia should play a role in limiting the effects of global climate change. Nearly half the respondents, 49%, believe energy from uranium will make a big contribution to tackling that in future.

"The poll shows Australians have a high level of understanding of the issues. That will encourage our association to continue to draw public opinion and its drivers to the attention of policy makers."

The poll also showed that 51% of Australians support nuclear power as one of the sources of Australia's energy needs.