The contentious issue of shale gas development in New Brunswick is polarizing the public, according to a new survey by Corporate Research Associates.

The New Brunswick government has been facing continued protests over the issue of shale gas development in the province in recent months. Premier David Alward has promised a rigorous set of regulations on the industry if it develops in New Brunswick.

The CRA poll, which was released on Tuesday, shows the public is extremely divided on the issue.

The survey shows that 45 per cent of those surveyed either completely or mostly support the exploration for natural gas in New Brunswick. In comparison, 45 per cent oppose the province moving forward with natural gas exploration.

Only 10 per cent of those surveyed said they did not know whether the provincial government should allow natural gas exploration.

“This is clearly a highly divisive issue for New Brunswickers” said Don Mills, the president and chief executive officer of CRA, in a statement.

“What is clear is that environmental concerns outweigh the perceived economic benefits of shale gas development and will require strict regulations before New Brunswickers will be assured on the safety of such exploration in the Province.”

The issue of extracting natural gas from shale deposits has become a dominant issue for the Alward government. Despite calls from the opposition parties, the Alward government has repeatedly opposed a moratorium on shale gas exploration or the contentious process of hydraulic fracturing.

The provincial government has promised to bring in a new Environmental Protection Plan in the spring, along with tough new regulations.

The survey indicated that 92 per cent of people believe New Brunswick needs new industries in order to grow. And 64 per cent of those people said they believed shale gas development would bring long-term benefits to the province and 59 per cent said they felt shale gas extraction can be done safely if regulations are in place.

However, the CRA survey indicates that 83 per cent of respondents said they worried about shale development even with regulations in place.

As well, 58 per cent of people said the environmental impacts outweigh the economic benefits.

The survey polled 400 adults in New Brunswick between Nov. 16 and 28. The survey's margin of error is within 4.9 percentage points, 19 times out of 20.