A new poll shows that almost two-thirds of Australians believe that Climate Change is the worst "critical threat" facing the nation at present.

The Lowy poll reflects that 64 percent of adults rank climate change number one on a list of twelve threats to Australia's national interests, even more than international terrorism, North Korea's nuclear program, or cyber attacks from other countries.  Lowy began including Climate Change in the poll since 2006, and this is the first year that it topped the list.

The pollster contact 2,130 Aussies between March 12 and 15, both over the phone and online,  Six in ten of that group says Australia needs to address the threat of climate change, even if that means incurring significant costs.  That's a level of concern not seen in the data since 2006.  While 60 percent see the need for immediate action, 28 percent favor gradual action so the costs of the transition are lowered.  Only ten percent preferred waiting until further evidence emerges.

The results also support earlier private research indicating that parts of the country that were not as concerned with Climate Change are not waking up to the impending crisis.