Media Release 1998: ACT Voters Reminded about Changes to ACT Divisional Boundaries
1 September 1998
The federal electoral boundaries in the ACT have changed since the 1996 federal election, the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) reminded ACT voters today.
The Australian Electoral Officer for the ACT, Mr William Hogan, said that at the 1998 election ACT voters are divided into two federal divisions, unlike the 1996 election where the ACT had three divisions.
"Nearly half of the electors in the ACT will be voting in a different division to the one they were in at the 1996 federal election," he said.
"The two divisions in the ACT are the Division of Canberra and the Division of Fraser, with adjusted boundaries. The Division of Namadgi no longer exists."
During the election the AEC will deliver to all ACT households a detailed leaflet which includes maps of the new boundaries. Electors can check the leaflet to see whether they have been affected by the changes.
"But the important message for all electors is that, as in the past, irrespective of any border changes, all they have to do is go to their local polling place to vote in the election," Mr Hogan said.
The boundary changes were triggered by the fact that the ACT's population growth had dropped relative to other parts of Australia.
Mr Hogan said as a result, the ACT's representation allocation in the House of Representatives was reduced from three to two seats.
"The purpose of the redrawing of the boundaries is to ensure that there are, as near as possible, the same number of people are in each electoral division," he said.
Further information:
A backgrounder on redistributions is below.
Bernadette O'Meara
Information Section
Ph. (02) 6271 4548
FEDERAL ELECTION 1998 BACKGROUNDER
REDISTRIBUTIONS
Since the 1996 federal election, the federal electoral boundaries of Western Australia, Queensland and the Australian Capital Territory have undergone redistribution.
The Western Australian redistribution was triggered as the statutory period of seven years had elapsed since the last redistribution in 1989. This 1996 redistribution process resulted in adjustments to the existing 14 division boundaries but no change to the State's entitlement to the House of Representatives.
As part of the 1997 redistribution process, it was determined that the population growth in Queensland meant the State was entitled to one more seat in the House of Representatives. The boundaries of the existing 26 divisions had to be adjusted to form 'Blair' the new 27th seat.
Also as part of the 1997 redistribution process, it was determined that due to population decrease the ACT would only be entitled to two Divisions, down from three, at the next election.
What is a redistribution?
A redistribution is a redrawing of electoral boundaries to ensure that, as nearly as practicable, there are the same number of electors in each Division for a given State or Territory.
What causes a redistribution?
The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 defines three triggers that can cause a redistribution:
- Population: when the number of House of Representative seats to which a State or Territory is entitled has changed;
- Equality of enrolment in Divisions: when the number of electors in more than one-third of the Divisions in a State or in one of the Divisions in the ACT deviates from the average Divisional enrolment by more or less that 10 per cent in three consecutive months; or
- Passage of time: when seven years have elapsed since the last redistribution.
How is the representative entitlement determined?
Following each federal election, the Electoral Commissioner looks at the official population statistics to determine the number of parliamentary representatives, that is the number of seats in the House of Representatives, each State and Territory is entitled to.
How are the divisional boundaries decided?
In deciding where the boundaries should be placed, many factors are taken into considerations such as lines of communications, community interest, existing boundaries and geographic features.
Can people have a say during a redistribution?
A redistribution is a consultative process with people able to provide comments and suggestions.
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