2015 PROPOSED REDISTRIBUTION OF LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY DIVISIONS

The Redistribution Committee has undertaken a proposed redistribution of the Territory into divisions for the Legislative Assembly in accordance with sections 137 to 145 of the Electoral Act.

The Committee’s Report is available to the public along with maps showing the names and boundaries of the proposed divisions, in compliance with section 144 of the Electoral Act.

As part of the redistribution process, the Committee has invited suggestions and comments and made those submissions publicly available. The key stages in the redistribution process were: • Publishing a notice inviting written suggestions relating to the redistribution. • Making the suggestions received available for public inspection. • Publishing a notice inviting written comments on the suggestions. • Proposing a redistribution of the Territory into divisions. • Preparing maps for the proposed redistribution showing the names and boundaries of all proposed divisions, which are available for public inspection. • Publishing a notice inviting written objections on the proposed redistribution.

Written objections to the proposed boundaries and the names may now be mailed, faxed, delivered by hand or emailed to the Augmented Redistribution Committee and must be received by close of business on 16 July 2015. Address details for delivery are shown at Part 6 of this Report.

IAIN LOGANATHAN Chairperson Redistribution Committee

16 June 2015

Level 3 TCG Centre, 80 Mitchell Street, Darwin | GPO Box 2419, Darwin NT 0801 T 08 8999 5000 | F 08 8999 7630 | E [email protected] | ABN 8408 5734 992

Table of Contents

Glossary ...... Overview of the Redistribution Process ......

1 BACKGROUND ...... 1 1.1 Legislative Base ...... 1 1.2 Composition of the Redistribution Committees ...... 1 1.3 Objects of Redistribution ...... 2 1.4 Matters to be Considered by the Committees ...... 2 1.5 Redistribution Timetable ...... 3

2 COMMUNITY CONSIDERATIONS, PUBLIC SUGGESTIONS AND COMMENTS ... 4 2.1 Community Considerations ...... 4 2.2 Suggestions Received ...... 5 2.3 Comment on Suggestions ...... 5 2.4 Comments on Suggestions Received ...... 5

3 ISSUES AND CONSIDERATIONS ...... 7 3.1 Introduction ...... 7 3.2 2011 Redistribution Revisited ...... 9 3.3 2015 Redistribution: Consideration of Suggestions and Comments ...... 10 3.4 Calculation of Quota for Proposed Divisions ...... 11 3.5 Methodology Applied by the Committee ...... 11

4 THE PROPOSED ELECTORAL BOUNDARIES ...... 14 4.1 Proposal for the Darwin Suburbs ...... 15 4.2 Proposal for Palmerston and Rural Areas ...... 18 4.3 Proposal for Katherine ...... 22 4.4 Proposal for Remote Northern Divisions ...... 22 4.5 Proposal for the and Central Divisions ...... 25

5 2015 NAMES OF DIVISIONS ...... 29 5.1 Naming Requirements and Conventions ...... 29 5.2 Proposed New Divisional Names ...... 29 5.3 Continued Use of Locality Names for Divisions ...... 32

6 PUBLICATION OF PROPOSED BOUNDARIES ...... 33 6.1 Publication ...... 33 6.2 Key Proposals ...... 33 6.3 Objection Period and Lodgement Arrangements ...... 33 6.4 Consideration of Objections ...... 34

Appendix A Redistribution Timetable ...... 35 Appendix B Organisations and Entities Contacted Regarding the Redistribution ...... 36 Appendix C Summary of Quality Roll 2014 (QR14) Program Activities ...... 37 Appendix D Enrolment and Quota (%) Changes 2011-2015 ...... 38 Appendix E Provisional Enrolment Maturing by 27 August 2016 ...... 39 Appendix F Current and Proposed Division Enrolment and Variance on Quota ...... 40 Appendix G Summary of Proposed Transfers Across Divisional Boundaries ...... 41

Redistribution Committee Report 2015

Glossary

Australian Bureau of Statistics, the federal agency responsible for the collection, collation and ABS dissemination of statistics relating to the Australian community, including population data. Australian Electoral Commission, the federal agency responsible for maintaining the electoral roll in the AEC NT. Australian Standard Geographical Classification. The geographical framework used by the ABS to June ASGC 2011. Australian Statistical Geography Standard. The geographical framework used by the ABS that replaced ASGS the ASGC in July 2011. AUDITOR- The person occupying the position of Chief Executive of the NT Auditor-General’s Office. GENERAL AUGMENTED The four person Redistribution Committee that is responsible for evaluating objections to the proposed REDISTRIBUTION NT divisions made by the three-person redistribution committee and making a final determination. COMMITTEE BOUNDARIES The borders of a division created for the election of a member to the NT parliament. Census Collection District – the geographical unit used by the ABS for the collection of Census data CCD prior to the introduction of the new geographical framework in July 2011. CHAIR OF The Redistribution Committee – the Electoral Commissioner; the Augmented Redistribution COMMITTEE Committee – a duly qualified person appointed by the Administrator. CLOSE OF The day fixed for the rolls for an election to close and by which all eligible electors must enroll and/or ROLLS update their name and address details. The final day on which submissions (suggestions, comments and objections) can be made to the CLOSING DATE redistribution committees. The Redistribution Committee invites comments from the public and organisations on redistribution COMMENTS suggestions. COMMISSION Northern Territory Electoral Commission (NTEC). COMMISSIONER Electoral Commissioner, Chief Executive of the NTEC. DIVISION An electoral division for the election of a Member of the Legislative Assembly. ELECTORAL ACT The NT Electoral Act provides the legislative framework by which a redistribution must be carried out. (EA) GDB Geographic Database – an AEC geographical area building block. GIS Geographic Information System The electoral roll or list of electors eligible to vote for Commonwealth and NT parliamentary and local JOINT ROLL government elections, maintained under a formal arrangement between the Governor-General and the Administrator. The Legislative Assembly, the legislature for the Northern Territory. It consists of one chamber LA comprising 25 elected members of parliament. The redistribution committees are obliged to consider matters such as an equality of electors in each division (subject to a 20% divergence); economic, social and regional interests; the feasibility of MATTERS FOR communication and travel; population density and trends; geographic features; existing federal, NT and CONSIDERATION local area boundaries including regions of Aboriginal land interest; and all suggestions and comments from the public in response to the redistribution process. MLA Member of the Legislative Assembly. NAMES OF The committees are required to provide names for proposed divisions. DIVISIONS NT Northern Territory NTEC Northern Territory Electoral Commission NTG Northern Territory Government NT (SELF - The Northern Territory (Self-Government) Act 1978 (Cth) sets out the basic governance requirements for GOVERNMENT) the NT legislature, including the methodology for determining the average number of electors in each ACT parliamentary division (the quota) and an allowable divergence from that quota [± one fifth (20%)]. Redistribution notices must be published in the NT Government Gazette, printed in a Territory-wide NOTICE newspaper and also regional papers as appropriate. OBJECTIONS The public can lodge objections to proposed boundaries and/or their names.

Redistribution Committee Report 2015 The redistribution committees are obliged to consider objects such as an equality in the number of electors in OBJECTS OF THE each division at the next election, their physical size, demography and geography; keeping identifiable REDISTRIBUTION comm