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The study found harvesting native forests was viewed as unacceptable by 65 per cent of regional and rural residents - including in areas with timber industries - not far shy of the 70 per cent disapproval by urban respondents.
For instance, 62 per cent of residents in Victoria's Central Highlands and Gippsland regions viewed logging of native forests for wood production as unacceptable and just one in five supported it. In north-eastern NSW, 65 per cent opposed it with about one in four were in favour.
Nationally, the most opposed were in Queensland's south-east, with 79 per cent against native forestry, and just 8 per cent in support.
Across Australia, logging of native forests lacks public support.Credit:University of Canberra
Ric Sinclair, managing director of not-for-profit FWPA, said he had yet to read the report, which was still in draft, pending peer review. Dr Shirmer said she was unable to comment until the review process was complete.
"Logging of native forests is a dinosaur industry [and] with 87 per cent of our sawn timber now coming from plantations there is no excuse to go on logging public native forests," Dailan Pugh, spokesman for the North East Forest Alliance, said.
"Native forests are far more important for tourism jobs, recreation, water yields, mitigating climate change and saving our declining wildlife, such as koalas."
Paul Toole, NSW forestry minister, said his government was commissioning its own research into attitudes on forestry practices that would be finished next year.
"The NSW government is committed to a sustainable forestry industry that respects environmental values, provides critical regional employment and important products for construction of our homes and infrastructure," he said.
The University of Canberra study found plantations grown for wood and paper production had varying levels of support, with farmers the most opposed.
One factor may be the experience of failed plantations such as in northern NSW and south-east Queensland, or areas of rapid expansion such as Tasmania, the researchers suggested.
By contrast, backing was strongest in areas where harvesting, processing and replanting activities generated more jobs, such as the so-called Green Triangle of South Australia.
Peter Hannam is Environment Editor at The Sydney Morning Herald. He covers broad environmental issues ranging from climate change to renewable energy for Fairfax Media.