Suggestion 211 Liberal Party of Australia (SA Division) 14 pages South Australian secretariat Phone (08) 8237 6504 Fax (02) 6293 7663 Email [email protected] Liberal Party of Australia (SA Division) Redistribution Committee for South Australia Australian Electoral Commission GPO Box 344 Adelaide SA 5001 Dear Committee Members, I submit a Suggestions Submission on behalf of the Liberal Party of Australia (South Australian Division). Our Suggestions Submission comprises of the following: 1. A written submission with a summary of suggestions, commentary on the methodology we have used in formulating them, the suggestions in detail as summarised by mapping software tracking movements between divisions. We would like to take the opportunity to thank the Commission’s staff for their assistance to date. Yours sincerely, Sascha Meldrum State Director 2 OVERVIEW This Suggestions Submission is made in response to the Australian Electoral Commissioner’s invitation to members of the public to submit written suggestions about the redistribution of federal electoral boundaries in South Australia. The Liberal Party acknowledges that South Australia will decrease its representation from 11 to 10 Federal Electoral Divisions. We note that in making the proposed redistribution, the Redistribution Committee is required by the Act to: 1. Ensure the number of electors in each proposed electoral division must not deviate by more than 10 per cent above or below the current enrolment quota. The current enrolment quota for South Australia was determined by the Electoral Commissioner to be 119,503. 2. As far as practicable, the Redistribution Committee will ensure that the number of electors enrolled in each electoral division at 20 January 2022 (the projection time) will not deviate by more than 3.5 per cent above or below the projected enrolment quota of 122,731. 3. Give due consideration, in relation to each proposed Electoral Division, to: (i) community of interests within the proposed Electoral Division, including economic, social and regional interests; (ii) means of communication and travel within the proposed Electoral Division; (iv) the physical features and area of the proposed Electoral Division; and (v) the boundaries of existing Divisions in the State or Territory’ 4. Consideration of existing boundaries is subordinate to the other factors set out above. In preparing this submission, the Liberal Party has adhered strictly to the elector constraints as set out in the Act, and has also paid due regard to maintaining community of interests, means of communication and travel, physical features and existing boundaries. Further, and in response to the determination that South Australia would lose one Division decreasing its entitlement to 10 House of Representative Divisions at the next federal election, the Liberal Party’s submission proposes the abolition of the Division of Adelaide. 3 METHODOLOGY At the outset, we note that the suggestions of the Liberal Party fully comply with the statutory requirements of Section 66 (3) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act. STARTING POINTS AND CORRIDORS The drawing of electoral boundaries needs to begin from logical fixed starting points. It is anticipated that the Redistribution Committee will work both inwards from the corners of the state and from the Central Adelaide metropolitan area. With regards to this process, there are nine distinct and logical regions that the Liberal Party has adopted so that the Committee can understand our reasoning: • The Upper Northern region; • The South Eastern / Riverland region; • The Fleurieu / Kangaroo Island region; and • Adelaide metropolitan region. ELECTORAL ENROLMENT At both the time the quota is struck and at the ‘projection time’, the Act provides a maximum and minimum permissible variation from the average. This variation has been provided by Parliament so that it is possible to also have regard for the aspects of the statutory criteria set out in Section 66 (3) (b) of the Act. Therefore, one can assume that the full permissible variation can be employed to allow sensible Divisions to be drawn. There is no requirement that each Division must be drawn so that their actual enrolment has negligible variation from the quota, or that the projected enrolment should have negligible variation from the average divisional enrolment at the ‘projection time’. The Liberal Party’s suggestions have sparingly made use of the flexibility offered by the margin of allowance. STATEWIDE SUMMARY OF PROJECTED ENROLMENT The projected enrolment quota for South Australia at 20 January 2022 is 122,731. To be within 3.5% of the projected enrolment, the number of electors in the ten South Australian seats must be between 118,436 and 127,026. In analysing the current and projected enrolments of the existing Divisions, it becomes very clear that by abolishing the Division of Adelaide, all Divisions can gain the required number of electors to be within the quota tolerance without a substantial geographical re-configuration of the boundaries within the state The Liberal Party submission has all Divisions within the required tolerance. 4 Suggested Actual Projected Divisions enrolment enrolment Barker 117,354 120,428 Boothby 117,600 120,534 Grey 118,798 119,441 Hindmarsh 118,754 120,981 Kingston 121,499 124,678 Makin 124,573 126,911 Mayo 115,812 119,527 Port Adelaide 122,473 126,387 Sturt 119,921 121,745 Wakefield 118,247 126,678 Grand Total 1,195,031 1,227,310 ADDRESSING THE ENROLMENT SHORTFALL IN THE UPPER NORTHERN REGION Grey enrolment At 4 September 2017, there were 102,264 electors in the electorate of Grey. As the number of members of the House of Representatives to which South Australia is entitled has been reduced to ten, all remaining seats will be required to gain a large number of voters. As at 20 January 2022, Grey’s projected enrolment is 102,612. The projected enrolment quota for South Australia at 20 January 2022 is 122,731. To be within 3.5% of the projected enrolment, the number of electors in the ten South Australian seats must be between 118,436 and 127,026. This means Grey must gain at least 15,824 electors but could gain up to 24,414 electors. It is the Liberal Party’s submission that by working inwards from the corners of the state, the Division of Grey should gain the additional and necessary population from within the central northern region, with the inclusion of parts of Wakefield Division. This logical approach would see Grey take in the remaining southern part of Wakefield, Clare and Gilbert Valleys and Mallala and the western section of Light, joining the like-minded community of interests of those LGAs already present within the existing Division of Grey. Townships would include Clare, Auburn and Riverton and as far south as Lower Light, Tarlee and across to Eudunda. These changes would increase the number of projected electors in Grey to 119,441, in line with the required increase. Communities of interest The expansive Grey electorate contains the industries of mining (oil, gas, copper, uranium, opals, iron ore), smelting (lead and steel), tourism, fishing, agriculture, aquaculture and forestry. To facilitate expansion of the electorate the LGA areas of Wakefield, Clare and Gilbert Valleys, Light and Adelaide Plains contain the most “like” industries being mainly small agricultural communities similar to those in the adjacent mid north and Yorke Peninsula. 5 Communication to the expanded community areas would therefore be relevant given the similar social and economic demographic. Alternatively the areas near the Gawler River to the south and the Barossa to the East contain the more intensive industries of horticulture and viticulture which would be difficult for the member to service adequately given the already large number of industries contained in the electorate and furthermore contain a different cultural and economic demographic. ADDRESSING THE ENROLMENT SHORTFALL IN THE SOUTH EASTERN / RIVERLAND REGION Barker enrolment At 4 September 2017, there were 106,009 electors in the electorate of Barker. As the number of members of the House of Representatives to which South Australia is entitled has been reduced to ten, all remaining seats will be required to gain a large number of voters. As at 20 January 2022, Barker’s projected enrolment is 108,383. The projected enrolment quota for South Australia at 20 January 2022 is 122,731. To be within 3.5% of the projected enrolment, the number of electors in the ten South Australian seats must be between 118,436 and 127,026. This means Barker must gain at least 10,053 electors but could gain up to 18,643 electors. It is the Liberal Party’s submission that by working inwards again, that the heart of the Barossa should be represented within one electoral district. The Division of Barker currently contains some of the Barossa District Council area and should gain most of the remainder within the LGA and part of Light Regional Council, currently in the Divisions of Wakefield and Mayo. Townships then included would be Kapunda, Truro, Nuriootpa and Tanunda. This would increase the number of projected electors in Barker to 120,428, in line with the required increase. Communities of Interest The Barossa Valley is perhaps one of the strongest communities of interest in the region and yet representation in the Federal Parliament sees the area currently split in three Federal electorates of Barker, Mayo and Wakefield. Regional History The Barossa community has a unique culture. Settled in 1842 by English and German settlers the Valley soon established its own unique culture and lifestyle much of which remains today. Geography The Barossa region surrounds the ‘Valley’ which is formed by the North Para River. The main road though the valley, Barossa Valley Way, connects the main towns of Nuriootpa, Tanunda, Rowland Flat and Lyndoch. Other major towns in the region include Angaston, Williamstown and Greenock and Seppeltsfield.