41% want debate on transtasman union

More than 40% of New Zealanders think it is time we talked about becoming Australia's seventh state.

Research firm UMR asked 1000 New Zealanders and Australians questions to gauge their views on a possible union of their countries 110 years after New Zealand chose not to join the Australian Commonwealth.

Of the New Zealanders asked, 41% said the prospect of New Zealand becoming Australia's seventh state was "an idea worth debating".

On the other hand, 58% did not believe the discussion was worth having. One percent were unsure.

The survey, which has a margin of error of 3%, found New Zealanders believed a union would bring big improvements in the ease of travel to Australia and to our defence status.

Those surveyed believed New Zealanders' lifestyle might improve marginally but our environment might suffer somewhat.

Almost two-thirds of New Zealanders thought ease of travel to Australia, and defence, would improve if we became the seventh state, while about half thought the New Zealand lifestyle and environment would be unaffected.

The six colonies of Australia federated into the Commonwealth of Australia in 1901. The Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory have since been added.

The Australian constitution provided for New Zealand to join but this country decided to remain separate.

The two economies were always entwined but that process speeded up with Closer Economic Relations in 1983.

Work towards a single economic market has been advanced by successive Governments since then, punctuated by occasional calls for a single currency, seen by some as a de facto union of the two countries.