Proposal For New South Wales Federal Electoral Redistribution

7 August 2009

Proposal for New South Wales Federal Electoral Redistribution

The report detailing the proposed federal electoral boundaries in New South Wales was published today by the Redistribution Committee for New South Wales. The report explains the Committee's redrawing of the state's electoral boundaries into 48 federal divisions.

The state's current entitlement of 49 House of Representative seats was reduced by one due to population changes, triggering the redistribution of electoral boundaries in New South Wales which commenced on 19 February 2009.

The Electoral Commissioner and Chair of the Committee, Mr Ed Killesteyn, said that the Committee was required by legislation to draw new boundaries which ensured, as far as practicable, that the number of electors in each division at 16 July 2012 did not vary more than 3.5% below and above the state's average projected enrolment of 98 907 electors.

The Committee also took into account community of interests, communication and transport links, physical features, and current federal boundaries when making its proposal.

The Committee noted that the loss of one division in New South Wales would necessarily result in the need to consider adjustments to boundaries throughout the state. It also noted that 12 existing divisions needed to gain electors to meet the numerical requirements of the Electoral Act and that only the metropolitan Division of Reid was required to lose electors.

Mr Killesteyn said that the Committee adopted the approach of supplementing divisions with relatively low enrolment from areas with higher enrolment numbers. The cumulative effect was the abolition of the existing Division of Reid.

Given the breadth of changes to the Division of Lowe as a result of the proposed redistribution, the Committee has taken the opportunity to rename this division 'McMahon', in recognition of the late Prime Minister, Sir William McMahon.

Mr Killesteyn advised that the Committee's approach resulted in the existing number of rural and regional electoral divisions being maintained.

The full details of the New South Wales Redistribution Committee's proposal, including the Committee's considerations in making the proposal, are in its report available on the AEC website at www.aec.gov.au, or from the Redistribution Secretariat.

Mr Killesteyn said that the consultative nature of the redistribution process continues with individuals and organisations now able to lodge objections about the Committee's proposed redistribution.

Written objections must be lodged with the Australian Electoral Commission no later than 6.00pm on Friday 4 September 2009:

* in person to Level 3, Roden Cutler House, 24 Campbell Street, Haymarket, NSW, 2000; or

* by mail to PO Box K406, Haymarket, NSW, 1240; or

* by email to [email protected]; or

* by facsimile to (02) 9375 6328.

All objections received by the deadline will be available for public inspection at the AEC State Office in Sydney and on the AEC website from Monday 7 September 2009. Comments on the objections will be accepted until 6.00pm on 18 September 2009.

Further information:

The Executive Summary, from the 2009 Proposed Redistribution of New South Wales into Electoral Divisions, follows below. The full report is available on the NSW Proposed Redistribution Page at www.aec.gov.au.

Media contacts:
Tjoen San Lauw
Acting Australian Electoral Officer for New South Wales
AEC New South Wales
02 9375 6300

Phil Diak
Director, Media and Communication Strategy
Canberra
02 6271 4415
0413 452 539

FURTHER INFORMATION:
The 2009 Proposed Redistribution of New South Wales:

Report of the Redistribution Committee

Executive summary

1. On 17 February 2009, the Electoral Commissioner made a determination on state and territory representation entitlements under section 48(1) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (the Electoral Act). Under the determination, New South Wales is entitled to 48 members of the House of Representatives, one less than its previous entitlement.

2. In considering options for the redistribution of divisional boundaries, the Redistribution Committee (the Committee) sought to ensure its proposal took into account and reflected a full and proper consideration of all the factors brought before it as required by the Electoral Act. These factors included actual and projected enrolment figures, and suggestions and comments. The Committee also sought, wherever possible, to unite communities of common interest and use clearly identifiable features as divisional boundaries.

3. New South Wales has experienced low population growth relative to the national average. Inland areas of the state are growing more slowly in both population and enrolment compared to the rest of New South Wales. Alterations to existing boundaries are required in order to achieve relative equality of enrolments at the projection time as required by the Electoral Act.

4. The Committee noted that the loss of one division would necessarily result in the need to consider adjustments to boundaries throughout the state. Twelve of the existing 49 divisions require additional electors to satisfy the numerical requirements of the Electoral Act. Two provincial divisions (Cunningham and Throsby) and six rural divisions (Calare, Gilmore, Lyne, New England, Parkes and Riverina) are below the 3.5% numerical tolerance range and need to gain electors. Furthermore, three outer metropolitan divisions (Berowra, Fowler and Hughes) and an inner metropolitan division (Lowe) are below the 3.5% range and must also gain electors.

5. Reid, situated in the middle of the metropolitan area, is the only division above the permissible tolerance range and therefore must lose electors.

6. The Committee reasoned that those divisions with relatively low projected enrolment should source the supplementation they need from areas with relatively high projected enrolment. As a consequence the metropolitan areas became the major source of supplementation. A number of consequential changes to existing boundaries were then necessary, with only the Division of Wentworth remaining unchanged in the metropolitan area. The cumulative effect of this supplementation strategy was the abolition of the existing Division of Reid.

7. The Committee believed it appropriate, in light of the breadth of changes to the Division of Lowe, which adjoined Reid, to take this opportunity to rename this division. The Committee has proposed renaming the division McMahon, in recognition of the outstanding service provided to Australia by the late Prime Minister, Sir William McMahon.

8. The Committee's approach resulted in the existing number of rural and regional electoral divisions being maintained. The divisions of Richmond, Shortland and Farrer remained unchanged, while the boundaries of the other rural and regional divisions were adjusted to meet the numerical requirements.

Extract from '2009 Proposed Redistribution of New South Wales into Electoral Divisions'


SOURCE: Australian Electoral Commission