7 November 2008

Deliberations on the names and boundaries for the 15 federal electoral divisions for Western Australia have concluded.

The Hon James Burchett QC, presiding member of the augmented Electoral Commission, today announced on its behalf, in accordance with a requirement of s.72 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (the Act), that it had made a proposed redistribution of Western Australia, adopting the redistribution proposed by the Redistribution Committee for Western Australia which was published on 1 August 2008, with some changes. 

The augmented Commission considered all objections and comments on those objections made in respect of the Committee’s proposal, and held public inquiries involving the hearing of submissions in Perth and Manjimup. There were 22 objections received in relation to the Committee’s proposal and 6 comments on objections.

The proposal, as changed, stands as the proposed redistribution of Western Australia made by the augmented Electoral Commission. 

The substance of the findings and conclusions of the augmented Commission concerning the objections lodged under s.69 and concerning the Redistribution Committee proposal is:

• The boundary between the divisions of Moore and Cowan, as proposed by the Committee, should be revised to follow Joondalup Drive so as to unite the locality of Tapping in the manner shown on the maps to be certified by the members of the augmented Commission.
• In light of the extent of the changes made to the boundaries of the existing divisions of O’Connor and Kalgoorlie, a review of these names was appropriate. 
• The Division of Kalgoorlie, as proposed by the Committee, which is situated in the south east of the state, should be named the Division of O’Connor, in recognition of C. Y. O’Connor’s achievements in Western Australia and association with that geographic region.
• The Division of O’Connor, as proposed by the Committee, which is located in the north of the state, should be named the Division of Durack, in recognition of the Durack family who were pioneers and developers of the Kimberley region.
• The other objections failed, in the opinion of the augmented Electoral Commission, to meet the criterion relating to projected enrolment numbers or, to the extent that this criterion could be met by compensatory adjustments elsewhere, the problems raised by the other criteria in s.73 were not met as well as they were by the Committee’s proposal.

“The augmented Commission is of the opinion that its proposal is not significantly different from that proposed by the Redistribution Committee for Western Australia.  Therefore, upon publication in the Gazette of the determination of the augmented Electoral Commission for Western Australia under s.73 of the Act, and the issue of the reasons for that determination, the redistribution process will have been concluded without the need to call for further objections or hearings,” Mr Burchett said.

Final maps and a report setting out the Commission’s reasons will be prepared for tabling in the Parliament and then published. 

The formal determination of the names and boundaries of the electoral divisions will be gazetted on 10 December 2008.

Further information about the redistribution process, including copies of public submissions and the report of the Redistribution Committee, is available on the AEC website. 

Contact:
Phil Diak
Director, Media
Australian Electoral Commission
02 6271 4415 (bus hours)
0413 452 539 (after hours)

Brendon Barlow
Public Awareness Manager
AEC Western Australia
Ph: 08 6363 8026
Mob: 0401 991 781

Editors note: The full report and maps are being finalised and will be available following tabling in Federal Parliament after 10 December 2008.