Proposed federal electoral boundaries for NSW released

The Redistribution Committee for New South Wales today published details of its proposal for changes to federal electoral boundaries in NSW.

The redistribution follows a decrease in the NSW entitlement from 48 to 47 seats in the House of Representatives, as determined by the Electoral Commissioner in November 2014 in accordance with the provisions of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918.

The Chair of the Redistribution Committee and Electoral Commissioner, Mr Tom Rogers said the current and projected enrolment numbers had led the Committee to propose significant adjustment to federal electoral boundaries in NSW.

“After careful consideration, the Redistribution Committee unanimously proposes the abolition of the existing Division of Hunter,” Mr Rogers said.



“The Division of Hunter was created at Federation in 1901, and the retention of Federation names is part of published guidelines for the naming of federal electoral divisions.



“Accordingly, the Committee proposes retaining the name of ‘Hunter’ by withdrawing the name of ‘Charlton’ and renaming that Division as ‘Hunter’.”

Under this proposal, just under half of the electors in the existing Division of Hunter would continue to be located within the electoral boundaries of the newly proposed Division of Hunter. Electors in the northern part of the existing Division of Hunter are proposed to join the adjacent Division of New England. The remainder – about forty per cent in the current Division of Hunter - are proposed to become part of the Division of Paterson.

Nearly sixty per cent of the electors in the current Division of Charlton would belong to the renamed Division of Hunter. The remaining electors are proposed to be part of the Divisions of Newcastle and Shortland.



“The Redistribution Committee also proposes renaming the existing Division of Throsby as ‘Whitlam’ in honour of the late Prime Minister, the Hon. Edward Gough Whitlam, AC, QC,” Mr Rogers added.

A total of 944,592 electors or 19.42 per cent of electors in NSW would change from their current federal electoral division under the proposed redistribution. Once a redistribution is final, the AEC automatically transfers existing elector enrolments, where required, to the correct electoral division.

In making its proposal, the Redistribution Committee considered enrolment numbers, public suggestions and comments on suggestions, communities of interest, communication and transport links, geographic or constructed features able to be used as readily identifiable electoral boundaries, and the current federal electoral boundaries.

The full proposal report, including the Redistribution Committee’s considerations in making the proposal and maps of the proposed electoral divisions, is available.

“The consultative nature of the redistribution process continues, with individuals and organisations now able to lodge objections to the Redistribution Committee’s proposed electoral names and boundaries,” Mr Rogers said.

Written objections must be lodged no later than 6pm AEDT Friday 13 November 2015. The best way to lodge an objection is online.

Objections can also be submitted:

by email to: FedRedistribution-NSW@aec.gov.au

to: FedRedistribution-NSW@aec.gov.au in person during business hours to: The Australian Electoral Commission (Att: Redistribution Secretariat), Level 10, 59 Goulburn Street, Sydney, NSW

during business hours to: The Australian Electoral Commission (Att: Redistribution Secretariat), Level 10, 59 Goulburn Street, Sydney, NSW by mail to: The Australian Electoral Commission (Att: Redistribution Secretariat), PO Box 20799, World Square PO, NSW, 2002, or

to: The Australian Electoral Commission (Att: Redistribution Secretariat), PO Box 20799, World Square PO, NSW, 2002, or by fax to: (02) 6215 9913.

All objections received by the deadline will be available for public inspection at Level 10, 59 Goulburn Street, Sydney, NSW and on the AEC website from Monday 16 November 2015.

Comments on the objections will then be accepted until 6pm AEDT Friday 27 November 2015. All comments on objections received by the deadline will be available for public inspection at Level 10, 59 Goulburn Street, Sydney, NSW and on the AEC website from Monday 30 November 2015.

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