CANBERRA, June 18 (Xinhua) -- Support for nuclear power plants in Australia is rising, a survey has found, but a clear majority of respondents do not want to live near one.

According to the survey by Essential, which was released on Tuesday, 44 percent of Australians are in favour of nuclear power, up from 40 percent when the question was last asked in November 2015, while 40 percent are opposed.

However, when asked if they would be "comfortable living close to a nuclear power plant", only 28 percent said they would be and 60 percent said they would not.

It comes as members of the governing Liberal National Party (LNP) Coalition push for an inquiry into the viability of nuclear energy.

If Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison does decide to overturn the ban on nuclear power, he could do so without the support of the Australian Labor Party (ALP) or Greens after the Australian Conservatives flagged its support and the Center Alliance declared it was open to the idea.

"We don't have a closed mind on this, but we are a long way from having an open one," Centre Alliance Senator Stirling Griff told the Guardian Australia.

"I'm not there yet, but that's not to say we won't get there in the future," Griff said.

The LNP holds a majority of seats in the House of Representatives but only 35 out of 76 in the Senate, four short of the 39 required to pass legislation.

The support of the Centre Alliance and Australian Conservatives would make 38 Senators in favour, meaning the government would need only one more vote if it wants to overturn the ban. Enditem

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