The 2006 Proposed Redistribution of New South Wales into 49 Electoral Divisions Report of the Redistribution Committee Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 – Section 68 Table of contents The 2006 Proposed Redistribution of New South Wales Representation of New South Wales in the House of Representatives...........................................1 Direction for a redistribution of New South Wales electoral divisions Quota Enrolment projections....................................................................................................................................................................................2 Appointment of the Redistribution Committee for New South Wales Public suggestions and comments ..............................................................................................................................................3 Statutory requirements for the making of a proposed redistribution ....................................................5 Community of interests, means of communication and travel, physical features and existing boundaries Guidelines for the naming of divisions ......................................................................................................................................6 Technical procedures Analysis of population and enrolment trends Enrolment of existing divisions – projected to 2010 .................................................................................................7 Mapping the projections..............................................................................................................................................................................9 Geography, transport, communication and community .................................................................................. 14 General strategy............................................................................................................................................................................................... 15 Three linking regions .................................................................................................................................................................................. 18 Proposed redistribution of New South Wales – by division......................................................................... 19 Summary ................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 41 Statistical summaries Table 1 – Determination of the quota..................................................................................................................................... 43 Table 2 – Enrolment projections at 31 May 2010 Table 3 – Summary of movement of electors between divisions Table 4 – Enrolment projections of existing divisions ........................................................................................ 44 Table 5 – Summary and projected enrolment of proposed divisions .............................................. 45 Table 6 – General description of how proposed divisions are constituted ............................... 46 Enclosures Map 1 – New South Wales Map 2 – Newcastle, Central Coast and Blue Mountains Map 3 – South and south-western Sydney, and the Illawarra Map 4 – Sydney metropolitan area CD – Containing the public suggestions received, and comments received on those suggestions. Published in accordance with Section 68 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 2006 PROPOSED REDISTRIBUTION OF NSW 1 The 2006 Proposed Redistribution of New South Wales Report of the Redistribution Committee Representation of New South Wales in the House of Representatives 1. On 17 November 2005 the Electoral Commissioner made a determination of State and Territory representation entitlements under section 48(1) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (the Electoral Act). Under the determination, New South Wales is entitled to 49 Members of the House of Representatives, one less than its previous entitlement. Direction for a redistribution of New South Wales electoral divisions 2. Section 59(2) of the Electoral Act provides that a redistribution shall be directed whenever a determination under section 48(1) of the Electoral Act results in an alteration of the number of Members of the House of Representatives to be chosen in a State. As a consequence of the determination referred to in paragraph 1, on 2 December 2005, the Australian Electoral Commission (Electoral Commission) directed by notice published in the Government Gazette1 that a redistribution was to commence in New South Wales. 3. At the end of 2 December 2005, the day determined by the Electoral Commission for the redistribution to begin, the number of electors enrolled for the State was 4 308 595 (Table 1). 4. Redistribution 2006 statistics showing the electoral enrolment figures as at 2 December 2005 were made available on the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) website. In addition, copies were printed upon request at all New South Wales AEC offices. The statistics were given at the following levels: Census Collector District (CCD) Statistical Local Area (SLA) Electoral Division State Quota 5. Under section 65(2) of the Electoral Act, the Electoral Commissioner determined that the quota of electors for New South Wales was 87 931 (4 308 595 divided by 49 Members). Thus, the permitted range of the margin of allowance of 10% below and above the quota would be 79 138 to 96 724 respectively. In making its proposals for the State, the redistribution committee is not permitted to propose divisions that exceed that range. 1 Gazette S226 Friday 2 December 2005 2 Enrolment projections 6. Section 66(3)(a) of the Electoral Act requires the committee to “…as far as practicable, endeavour to ensure that, if the State or Territory were redistributed in accordance with the proposed redistribution, the number of electors enrolled in each Electoral Division in the State or Territory would not, at the projection time determined under Section 63A, be less than 96.5% or more than 103.5% of the average divisional enrolment of that State or Territory at that time…” 7. The Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) supplied enrolment projections to the AEC using AEC enrolment data as the base and a cohort-component method to project the enrolment of each CCD to 31 May 2010. (Table 2) That is, three years and six months after the expected date of the final determination of boundaries. Divisional Returning Officers (DROs) of the AEC examined the ABS projections in the light of their local knowledge and experience, and where appropriate, substituted their own projections2. DROs made use of information supplied by relevant local authority planning and statistical groups, as well as their own resources in undertaking this task. The Australian Electoral Officer for New South Wales also reviewed the projections. 8. The projections were made available on the AEC website to persons or organisations interested in using them as an indication of the likely growth of elector enrolment and as an aid to the preparation of public suggestions, or comments on public suggestions. In addition, copies were printed upon request at all New South Wales AEC offices. 9. The projected total enrolment for New South Wales at 31 May 2010 is 4 581 939. Thus, the average enrolment of the 49 divisions at that time would be 93 508. The 3.5% tolerance below and above that average requires that divisions be constructed in the range between 90 236 and 96 780 electors (Table 2). Appointment of the Redistribution Committee for New South Wales 10. In accordance with Section 60 of the Electoral Act, the Electoral Commission appointed the following members of the redistribution committee (the committee) for New South Wales, on 17 March 2006: Electoral Commissioner...................................................................Mr Ian Campbell Australian Electoral Officer for New South Wales ...................... Mr David Farrell Surveyor-General of New South Wales................................. Mr Warwick Watkins Auditor-General of New South Wales.................................................Mr Bob Sendt 11. Committee members met to discuss preliminary matters on 1 March 2006. Formal meetings were held on 18 April, 8, 19 & 25 May, and 5 & 16 June 2006. 2 As noted in the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters report “Report on the Effectiveness and Appropriateness of the Redistribution Provisions of Parts III and IV of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (December 1995)” 2006 PROPOSED REDISTRIBUTION OF NSW 3 Public suggestions and comments 12. In accordance with Section 64 of the Electoral Act, the Electoral Commissioner invited written public suggestions and written comments on those suggestions by notice published in the Government Gazette3, the Daily Telegraph and the Sydney Morning Herald newspapers on 25 February 2006 and the Sunday Telegraph and the Sun-Herald on 26 February 2006. 13. At the stipulated closing time on 24 March 2006, 28 public suggestions had been received from: 1. Mr Darvel Baird 18. Mr Peter Andren MP, 2. Mr Paul Shields Member for Calare 3. Mrs J McGregor 19. Mr Peter Thyer 4. Mr Anthony Ellul 20. Ms Sue Rosen 5. Ms Robyn Murphy 21. Riverina Electorate Council, 6. Ms Kay Hull MP, NSW Nationals Member for Riverina 22. National Party of Australia, 7. Mr John E Lush NSW (The Nationals) 8. Nambucca Shire Council 23. Ballina Shire Council