28 November 2003

The augmented Electoral Commission for South Australia today announced it had concluded its deliberations on the boundaries and names for the 11 federal electoral divisions in South Australia.

The presiding member of the augmented Commission, the Honourable James Burchett, QC, said that the Commission had adopted the proposal of the Redistribution Committee for South Australia, published in September 2003, without change.

Mr Burchett said that before making its determination, the augmented Commission conducted a review of the Redistribution Committee's proposed South Australian federal electoral boundaries and division names, and considered all the objections to this proposal and comments on these objections.

"In addition, the augmented Commission considered the views expressed at a public inquiry held in Adelaide on 12 November 2003," he added. He noted that the areas involved in the various objections represented a very small proportion of the geographic area of the State, which indicated broad acceptance of the Redistribution Committee's approach.

Mr Burchett said that the augmented Commission reached the conclusion that the criteria in the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 relating to the drawing of electoral boundaries were met more satisfactorily by retaining the proposal made by the Redistribution Committee.

"As the augmented Commission's proposal does not differ from the proposal of the Redistribution Committee for South Australia, the redistribution process has been concluded without the need for further objections or hearings," he said.

Mr Burchett said that the new South Australian federal boundaries will be gazetted as soon as practicable, and the Report of the augmented Electoral Commission for South Australia will be available in due course."

These new divisional boundaries will come into effect at the next federal election. Any by-election that might occur before the next federal election would be held on the current boundaries - as determined in 1999.

Background information

The members of the augmented Electoral Commission for South Australia are:

Chairperson of the Australian Electoral Commission Hon James Burchett, QC

Electoral Commissioner Mr Andy Becker

Non-judicial Commissioner (and Australian Statistician) Mr Dennis Trewin

Australian Electoral Officer for South Australia Dr Christopher Drury

Surveyor General for South Australia Mr Peter Kentish

Auditor General for South Australia Mr Ken MacPherson

Detailed information, including the September 2003 report of the Redistribution Committee, can be obtained from the Australian Electoral Commission's website www.aec.gov.au. Also, the AEC's Electoral Newsfile No.110 gives a general chronology of the redistribution process and statistical information as to why the redistribution was required.

Further information

Dr Christopher Drury

Australian Electoral Officer for South Australia Ph. (08) 8237 6555

Phil Diak

Director Information Ph. (02) 6271 4415