Barton Deakin Brief: Victorian and ACT Electoral Boundary Redistribution

9 April 2018

Last week, the Australian Electoral Commission (‘AEC’) announced substantial redistributions for the Electorate Divisions in and the ACT. The redistribution creates a third Federal seat in the ACT and an additional seat in Victoria. These new seats are accompanied by substantial boundary changes in Victoria and the ACT.

ABC electoral analyst Antony Green has predicted that the redistribution would notionally give the an additional three seats in the next election – the Divisions of Dunkley, Fraser, and Bean – while the seat of Corangamite would become one of the most marginal seats in the country.

The proposed changes will now be subject to a consultation period where objections to the changes may be submitted to the AEC. The objection period closes at 6pm May 4 in both the ACT and Victoria. A proposed redistribution for South will be announced on April 13.

This Barton Deakin Brief will summarize the key electoral boundary changes in the ACT and Victoria.

New Seats The Redistribution Committee has proposed that four of Victoria’s electoral divisions be renamed. Additionally, two new seats are to be created in Victoria and the ACT

New Seats Proposed for Victoria and ACT

DIVISION OF BEAN (ACT) New seat encompassing much of the former Division of . The seat will be named after World War I war correspondent Charles Edwin Woodrow Green (1879-1968)

DIVISION OF FRASER (VIC) New seat named after former Liberal Party Prime Minister John AC CH GCL (1930-2015), to be located in ’s western suburbs.

Changed Seats The redistribution committee has proposed that four of Victoria’s electoral divisions be renamed. The new names for these electorates are as follows;

Changed Seats Proposed for Victoria and the ACT

DIVISION OF COX (VIC) Renamed from , named after May Cox (1883-1953) for her contribution to swim teaching and lifesaving.

DIVISION OF MACNAMARA (VIC) The Ports will be renamed in honour of Dame Annie Jean MacNamara DBE (1899-1968) for her contributions to medical science.

DIVISION OF MONASH (VIC) The Division of McMillian will be renamed after Sir John Monash CB(M) KCB(M) GCMB (1865-1931) one of the foremost Allied military commanders of the First World War.

DIVISION OF NICHOLLS (VIC) Renamed from after Sir Douglas Ralph Nicholls MBE(C) OBE(C) KCVO (1906-1988) and Lady Gladys Nicholls (1906-1981) for their advocacy of Aboriginal rights and welfare.

Key Victorian Redistributions

The AEC have proposed the addition of a new electorate in Melbourne’s west, around the local government area of Brimbank City Council. The new electorate is to be named the Division of Fraser. In addition to the new electorate, the major changes to divisions include:

• The would have a net gain of 11,064 projected electors and would gain part of Knox City Council in the with the exception of Upper Ferntree Gully;

• The would have a net gain of 13,384 projected electors and consist of part of the Casey City Council, Part of the Greater Dandenong City Council and part of the Knox City Council;

• would have a net gain of 8,798 projected electors and would consist of part of the Monash City Council, and part of the Whitehorse City Council;

• Division of Cox (existing Division of Corangamite) would have a net loss of 10,623 projected electors and would consist of , Council, part of the Colac Otway Shire Council, part of the Council, and part of the Greater City Council;

• would have a net gain of 10,692 projected electors and would consist of part of the Manningham City Council, part of the Maroondah City Council, part of the Whitehorse City Council, and part of the Yarra Ranges City Council;

• The would have a net loss of 13,006 projected electors and would consist of part of the Shire Council, and the unincorporated areas of Elizabeth, French and Sandstone Islands;

• The new Division of Fraser would have 111,482 projected voters and consist of part of the Brimbank City Council, and part of the Maribyrnong City Council;

• The Division of Gorton would have a net loss of 17,693 and would consist of Melton City Council, part of the Brimbank City Council, and part of the City Council;

• The Division of Holt would have a net loss of 21,236 projected electors and would consist of part of the Casey City Council;

• The Division of Kooyong would have a net gain of 9,673 projected electors and would consist of part of the Boroondara City Council, and part of the Whitehorse City Council;

• The Division of Lalor would have a net loss of 32,115 projected electors and would consist of Wyndham City Council;

• The Division of would have a net gain of 12,179 projected electors and would consist of Buloke Shire Council, Central Gold elds Shire Council, Gannawarra Shire Council, Hindmarsh Shire Council, Horsham Rural City Council, Loddon Shire Council, Rural City Council, Rural City Council, West Shire Council, Yarriambiack Shire Council, part of the Northern Shire Council, and part of the Pyrenees Shire Council;

• The Division of McEwen would have a net loss of 43,906 projected electors and would consist of part of the Hume City Council, part of the Macedon Ranges Shire Council, part of the Mitchell Shire Council, part of the Nillumbik Shire Council, and part of the Whittlesea City Council;

• The Division of Melbourne would have a net loss of 13,013 projected electors and would consist of part of the Melbourne City Council, part of the Moonee Valley City Council, part of the Moreland City Council, and part of the Yarra City Council;

• The would have a net gain of 8,740 projected electors and would consist of Manningham City Council, part of the Maroondah City Council, and part of the Nillumbik City Council;

• The (existing Division of McMillan) would have a net loss of 16,633 projected electors and would consist of Council, South Shire Council, part of the Cardinia Shire Council, part of the Latrobe City Council, part of the

Mount Baw Baw Shire Council, and the unincorporated area of Alpine Resort;

• The Division of Scullin would have a net loss of 9,890 projected electors and would consist of part of the Whittlesea City Council;

• The Division of Wannon would have a net gain of 12,695 projected electors and would consist of Ararat Rural City Council, Corangamite Shire Council, Glenelg Shire Council, Moyne Shire Council, Southern Grampians Shire Council, Warrnambool City Council, part of the Colac Otway Shire Council, part of the Golden Plains Shire Council, part of the Northern Grampians Shire Council, and part of the Pyrenees Shire Council; and

• The would have a net loss of 11,402 electors and would consist of part of the Moreland Council, and part of the Yarra City Council.

Further information on the redistribution and name changes in Victoria can be found here.

Australian Capital Territory Redistributions

The AEC proposes that the ACT be divided into three electoral division — a northern, central and southern, with the creation of a new electoral division. The following changes are proposed:

• The new Division of Bean would encompass 99,415 projected electors and would consist of Coree, Cotter River, part of , part of , Paddys River, Stromlo, , part of West Creek, part of and the whole of . The name is a tribute to Charles Edwin Woodrow Bean (1879–1968) for his work as an offical correspondent to the Imperial Force;

• The Division of Canberra would have a net loss of 48,981 projected electors and would consist of part of , , part of Jeeabomberra, , , part of the Molonglo Valley, part of , and part of Woden Valley; and

• The Division of Fenner would have a net loss of 50,434 projected electors and would consist of part of Belconnen, Gungahlin and Hall.

Further information on the redistribution and name changes in the ACT can be found here.

Further Information

For more information, please contact David Alexander on 0457 400 524, Grahame Morris on 0411 222 680, Robert Bower on 0430 036 667, or Elizabeth Burrows on 0458 376 089