POLITICIANS are continuing to waste money on pushing Australia towards becoming a republic despite six failed attempts since 1993, monarchists claim.

The national convenor of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy, Professor David Flint, said yesterday support for a republic was in decline, particularly among the young.

In a column released to coincide with the Australians for Constitutional Monarchy national conference in Perth, Professor Flint said Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was seeking to place some undefined politicians' republic back on the national agenda.

"Despite taxpayers funding six major exercises on trying to move to a politicians' republic since 1993, some politicians still want to divert millions more from pensions, schools, water, etc, into this folly," he said.

"But polling indicates that not only is overall support for some politicians' republic in decline, it has collapsed among the younger generation."

Australians rejected a republic at the 1999 referendum.

But the cause has received a fresh boost with the rise of Malcolm Turnbull to Opposition Leader.

Mr Turnbull headed the pro-republic movement at the 1998 republic convention, which failed because of bitter divisions within the movement over the sort of new structure Australia should have.

This will be the 10th convention since the 1999 referendum.