South East Region Development Association 13 Pages
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Comment on public suggestion number 1 South East Region Development Association 13 pages Tasmanian secretariat Phone (03) 6235 0503 Email [email protected] SUBMISSION to 2016 COMMONWEALTH REDISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE FOR TASMANIA by SOUTH EAST REGION DEVELOPMENT ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED (SERDA)1 Purpose 1. The purpose of this submission is to alert the Redistribution Committee to the rapidly growing community of interest in the south east of Tasmania, and to foreshadow the need for radical electorate changes for Tasmania to be considered in detail by the Redistribution Committee circa 2023. Background 2. Report of the Redistribution Committee of 2008 acknowledged the “geographical size of Lyons, and the fragmented boundaries of Franklin” were issues raised in a number of submissions. 3. The 2008 analysis of enrolment trends revealed that only Franklin was projected to have an enrolment outside of the permitted range, and its ongoing enrolment growth was predicted to be above the State average. South East Tasmania as a Community of Interest 4. The south east of Tasmania, as represented by Clarence, Glamorgan Spring Bay, Sorell and Tasman councils has a population of 75,527 and occupies 4214 Km2. While at this point of time the number of electors in the area is approximately 59,000, the population, especially in Clarence and Sorell, is growing rapidly. 5. The estimated resident population of the SERDA area has grown by 3,080 persons over the 5 year period 2010-2015. This represents a 5 year growth rate of 4.3%, compared with the overall Tasmania growth rate of 1.5% for the period 2010-2015 – see Attachment 1. 6. The four councils agreed in 1993 to form SERDA as an incorporated body with the following objectives: 1 Membership of SERDA comprises Clarence City Council, Glamorgan Spring Bay Council, Sorell Council and Tasman Council. 1 | P a g e a. provide leadership through a strategic alliance of the participating councils; b. seek and establish external strategic alliances; c. provide a committed, co-ordinated and co-operative voice for the region; d. develop and manage programs, including but not limited to those related to employment creation, environment, tourism, industry and business development, and natural resource management; e. ensure resources are available to meet its objectives; and f. investigate and instigate opportunities for regional cooperation. 7. As a separate initiative, the four councils, in collaboration with the Tasmania Government, have also recently completed a modelling project into the possibility of merging into one council. 8. While the initiative may not result in agreements to merger, the project, conducted by KPMG, did recognise many points of common interest from a cultural and social point of view, as well as from a geographic point of view.2 9. There are many shared characteristics between the communities and municipal areas of the south east, and the local government boundaries within the region are not a firm delineation of materially different communities. Coastal community living and enterprises on the peninsulas, inlets and arcing coastlines of the south east region is a strong theme, whilst the distinct low rainfall climate and environment of the area establishes a common awareness of water resource, rural and coastal land management issues. Reinforcing these shared characteristics are the dominant road transport travel routes provided by the Tasman and Arthur Highways, which connect communities and facilitate travel to regional centres for shopping, medical and recreational services, in particular to the activity centres at Sorell, Cambridge and Rosny Park. The south east region is also being shaped and strengthened by a range of economic infrastructure drivers, including the: ■ Hobart international airport runway extension, driving growth in visitor numbers, freight movements and Antarctic related activities; 2 http://www.ccc.tas.gov.au/webdata/resources/files/South%20East%20Councils%20Feasibility%20Study.pdf 2 | P a g e ■ Cambridge Industrial Park & retail precinct catering for growth in big box retail and light industrial activities; ■ South East Irrigation Scheme Stage 3 in the Coal River Valley/ Forcett area, building on the success of Stages 1 & 2 and unlocking agriculture, viticulture and agri-tourism potential; ■ several significant tourism projects/ developments on the east coast, the Tasman Peninsula, in the Coal River Valley, and at Kangaroo Bay, adding to the existing tourism drawcards at Port Arthur, Freycinet, and Richmond. These economic drivers will also collectively drive continued population growth in the south east region over the next 10-15 years. The Basis for a Radical Redistribution 10. Currently, the four SERDA councils, together with the neighbouring LGAs of Brighton and Southern Midlands, occupy 6943 Km2, and have an enrolment of about 72,000 electors. Using the AEC enrolment projection data, a new South East Tasmanian electoral division comprising the Clarence, Brighton, Sorell, Tasman, Glamorgan-Spring Bay, and Southern Midlands LGAs would have a projected enrolment of about 76,000 in 2021 – see Attachment 2. 11. Based on existing population growth trends in Tasmania, especially for Brighton, Clarence and Sorell, the six municipalities combined can be expected to have by 2023 the numbers to form a federal electorate in their own right. Such an opportunity would provide the Redistribution Committee circa 2023 with an opportunity to recognise the south east of Tasmania as a community of interest, redress to some extent the geographical size of Lyons, and abolish the fragmented boundaries of Franklin. 12. In particular, the eastern part of Franklin (essentially Clarence) could join with Brighton, Glamorgan Spring Bay, Sorell, Tasman and, possibly, Southern Midlands to form one electorate; the western portion of Franklin (Huon Valley and most of Kingborough) could join with the remainder of Kingborough currently in Denison and Hobart to form a second electorate; and Glenorchy could transfer to Lyons. 3 | P a g e Naming 13. Such a radical redistribution would effectively abolish the existing divisions of Denison and Franklin. While both are arguably Federation Divisions3, both are named after early English governors and fail to meet any other guidelines for the naming of electoral divisions. 14. In its 2008 Report, the Redistribution Committee acknowledged the significant contribution that Andrew Inglis Clark made to Australia’s political and electoral life, and accepted that naming an electoral division after him would provide appropriate recognition of that contribution. The Redistribution Committee might consider that a newly formed electoral division based on Hobart, Huon Valley and Kingborough could be named Clark. 15. A newly formed electoral division comprising Brighton, Clarence, Glamorgan Spring Bay, Sorell, Tasman and possibly Southern Midlands would geographically embrace an area almost identical with that identified with by the Paredarerme (Oyster Bay) Tasmanian aboriginal nation. The Paredarerme nation was estimated to be the largest Tasmanian aboriginal nation with 10 clans totalling 700 to 800 people. 4 16. Given that the guidelines for naming electoral divisions advise that “Aboriginal names should be used where appropriate” a new south east Tasmanian electorate could be called the Division of Paredarerme. 3 AEC advice at http://www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/2016/tas/essential.htm is that ONE interpretation is that Federation electoral divisions are those which were in place for the first federal election held in 1901. However, for the first federal election in 1901, Tasmania was not divided into electoral divisions. At the 1901 elections, Tasmania voted as one electoral division and members of the House of Representatives were elected for Tasmania. On this interpretation, 'Tasmania' would be the Federation electoral division. Tasmania was divided into five electoral divisions prior to the second federal election in 1903, including the Divisions of Bass, Denison and Franklin. The SECOND interpretation is that because these electoral divisions were defined and named before the second federal election, they are original federation electoral divisions in Tasmania and it would be against the spirit of the guidelines to change these names without very strong reasons. 4 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aboriginal_Tasmanians 4 | P a g e Conclusions 17. The south east of Tasmania has a rapidly growing population and strong community of interest based on geography and shared characteristics. 18. By 2023 the region, together with neighbouring LGAs of Brighton and Southern Midlands, will meet the elector numbers criteria to enable the establishment of a new electoral division centred on that community of interest, and provide an opportunity to address the geographical size of Lyons and abolish the fragmented boundaries of Franklin. 19. The abolishment of Denison and Franklin provides an opportunity to recognize Andrew Inglis Clark in the naming of a new electorate, and to give another electorate in Tasmania an appropriate aboriginal name. 5 | P a g e South East Tasmania LGAs - Estimated Resident Population Attachment 1 ERP at 30 June Change Local Government Area 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012r 2013r 2014r 2015p 2010-2015 no. no. no. no. no. no. no. no. no. no. no. % no. Clarence (C) 50014 50344 50630 51107 51765 52396 52825 53119 53539 54035 54674 4.3% 2278 Glamorgan/Spring Bay (M) 4347 4371 4412 4458 4463 4449 4419 4429