19 December 2002

The presiding member of the augmented Electoral Commission for Victoria, the Hon Trevor Morling QC, today announced that the Commission had concluded its deliberations on the boundaries and names for the 37 federal electoral Divisions in Victoria.

Mr Morling said, "The augmented Electoral Commission for Victoria has reviewed the proposed redistribution of federal electoral boundaries and names in Victoria and considered all objections to the Redistribution Committee's proposal, as well as comments on objections, and the material placed before it at a public inquiry held in Melbourne on 14 November 2002."

"Following these deliberations, the augmented Electoral Commission has determined to adopt the proposal of the Redistribution Committee for Victoria which was published on 30 August 2002, with the exception of the changes detailed below:

Divisions of Aston, Deakin, La Trobe and Menzies

The augmented Electoral Commission adopted the pre-existing Glenvale and Oban Road boundary between the Divisions of Deakin and Menzies; and retained the existing boundary for the Divisions of Aston and Deakin at Canterbury and Springvale Roads. Objections (involving no electors) supporting the retention of several campuses of Monash University within the Division of La Trobe were also upheld by the augmented Electoral Commission.

Divisions of Bruce, Holt and Isaacs

A clearer boundary was adopted using the Dandenong railway line and the Princes Highway in the Dandenong area between the Divisions of Bruce and Isaacs together with a change of the boundary between the Divisions of Holt and Isaacs from the Frankston/Dandenong Road to the Dandenong/Hastings Road (involving a small number of electors).

Divisions of Dunkley and Flinders

The Commission determined to retain the pre-existing boundary between the Divisions of Dunkley and Flinders at Mornington and aligned the south-eastern corner of the Division of Dunkley with the City of Frankston boundary.

Divisions of Gellibrand and Lalor

A clearer boundary was adopted between the Divisions of Gellibrand and Lalor along the Princes Freeway near Laverton.

Divisions of Gorton and Maribyrnong

Two changes to ensure a clearer boundary between the Divisions of Gorton and Maribyrnong were made by aligning a section of the boundary with the Western Ring Road and another section with Kororoit Creek.

Division of Jagajaga

The augmented Electoral Commission recognised the need for a clearer boundary between Jagajaga and McEwen and adopted a more substantial boundary adopting the Research/Warrandyte Road and the suburb boundary of North Warrandyte.

Divisions of Gippsland and McMillan

In reaching its view in regard to these two divisions, the augmented Electoral Commission considered that the splitting of the Shire of South Gippsland in the way proposed by the Redistribution Committee for Victoria was not a preferred course of action. It would result in the separation of towns such as Korumburra and Leongatha along the South Gippsland Highway from the surrounding hinterland. Consequently, the augmented Electoral Commission determined that the entire Shire of South Gippsland be transferred into the Division of McMillan to create, in effect, a west Gippsland division. A small number of electors from the Division of Flinders, near Nyora, were also transferred into the division of McMillan so as to align that boundary to the municipal boundary.

In considering how best to set the boundary between the Divisions of McMillan and Gippsland, the augmented Electoral Commission sought to minimise disruption to electors in the City of La Trobe. On balance, the Commission was persuaded that the transfer of Traralgon, as proposed by the Redistribution Committee for Victoria, was not the preferred course of action. Accordingly, the augmented Electoral Commission adopted to keep the larger towns of Morwell and Traralgon, and the towns they serve, together in the one Division by transferring them to the Division of Gippsland and drawing the electoral boundary between the Divisions of McMillan and Gippsland to the east of Moe - thereby retaining the majority of the City of La Trobe in the one Division".

While considering the merits of other changes proposed in the objections, the augmented Electoral Commission for Victoria reached the conclusion that the criteria of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 were met more completely by retaining the proposals made by the Redistribution Committee in all respects other than those outlined above.

The augmented Electoral Commission resolved that the changes it had determined in relation to the Redistribution Committee for Victoria's proposal for the State were not significant and, therefore, the redistribution process has been concluded without the need for further objections or hearings.

These new boundaries will come into effect at the next federal election. Any by-election that may occur before the next federal election will be held on the current boundaries - as determined in 1994.

"The formal determination of the Redistribution will be gazetted as soon as practicable and the augmented Electoral Commission for Victoria's full Report, including maps of Divisional boundaries, will be available in due course", Mr Morling said.

Background:

The members of the augmented Electoral Commission for Victoria are:

Chairperson of the Australian Electoral Commission	Hon Trevor Morling QC
Electoral Commissioner	Mr Andy Becker
Non-judicial Commissioner (and Australian Statistician)	Mr Dennis Trewin
Australian Electoral Officer for Victoria	Mr Daryl Wight
Surveyor-General of Victoria	Mr Keith C Bell RFD
Auditor-General of Victoria	Mr Wayne Cameron

Detailed background information can be obtained from the AEC website www.aec.gov.au by clicking "WHY", accessing the heading "Redistributions", then go to "Redistributions commenced in 2002 - Victoria". In particular Electoral Newsfile 107 gives a general chronology of the redistribution process, in addition the statistical information relevant to the redistribution. The August 2002 report of the Redistribution Committee can also be accessed under this heading.

Further Information:

Terry Rushton	Tel. (02) 6271 4468
Redistribution Secretariat
Mr Daryl Wight	Tel. (03) 9285 7100
Australian Electoral Officer for Victoria