1999 Redistribution of South Australia into twelve electoral divisions - Final Report: Part 1

Updated: 9 February 2011

PART ONE

20 August 1999
Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918
Sections 73 and 74

1.1 DETERMINATION MADE BY THE AUGMENTED ELECTORAL COMMISSION FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA

Pursuant to section 73 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918, the augmented Electoral Commission for South Australia hereby determines that the boundaries of the Electoral Divisions into which the State of South Australia is to be distributed and the names of those Electoral Divisions are as shown on the maps certified by the members of the augmented Electoral Commission for South Australia and lodged in File Number 99/937 at the Principal Office of the Australian Electoral Commission in Canberra, being the maps numbered in the following sequence:

  • S1/1999 Adelaide
  • S2/1999 Barker
  • S3/1999 Bonython
  • S4/1999 Boothby
  • S5/1999 Grey
  • S6/1999 Hindmarsh
  • S7/1999 Kingston
  • S8/1999 Makin
  • S9/1999 Mayo
  • S10/1999 Port Adelaide
  • S11/1999 Sturt
  • S12/1999 Wakefield

T R Morling
Chairman
augmented Electoral Commission for South Australia

20 August 1999

1.2 REASONS FOR THE DETERMINATION MADE BY THE AUGMENTED ELECTORAL COMMISSION FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA

  1. The determination of the augmented Electoral Commission for South Australia (the augmented Commission) is that the boundaries of the Electoral Divisions in South Australia, and the names of those Divisions, shall be as proposed by the Redistribution Committee for South Australia in their Report published on 21 May 1999.
  2. Outline maps of the Proposed Redistribution by the Redistribution Committee for South Australia and a notice inviting objections against the Proposal were published in "The Advertiser" and "The Australian" on 21 May 1999. A notice was also published in the Gazette on 21 May 1999. Changes proposed for specific regional areas were published in "The Loxton News" and "The Northern Argus" on 26 May 1999; and in "The Balaklava Plains Producer" on 9 June 1999.
  3. At the closing date on 18 June 1999 Objections against the Redistribution Committee's Proposal were received from:
    1. Mr K W West [PDF 180KB]
    2. Mr K W West [PDF 91KB]
    3. Australian Labor Party (SA Branch) [PDF 135KB]
    4. Australian Democrats [PDF 170KB]
  4. At its first meeting, the augmented Electoral Commission determined that the matters raised in the Objections were substantially the same as those raised in the Suggestions and Comments lodged with the Redistribution Committee. Therefore, in accordance with Section 72(3) of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (the Act), the augmented Commission decided not to hold a public inquiry into the Objections.
  5. The period during which Comments could be made on the Objections closed on 2 July 1999 and at that date one Comment was received from The Liberal Party of Australia, SA Division.
    1. The Liberal Party of Australia, SA Division [PDF 74KB]
  6. Objections by Mr K W West: In his initial Objection, Mr West protested the use of the Division name "Port Adelaide", the calculation of area for each Division, the lack of consistency in aligning boundaries with features and the shape of some Divisions. In his second letter, Mr West effectively rescinded his initial Objection, save for the calculation of area. The augmented Commission notes the area of Divisions shown are indicative only and should be used simply as a guide to size.
  7. Objection by the Australian Labor Party (SA Branch): The Australian Labor Party objected to the proposed boundaries and put forward specific changes to the Divisions of Adelaide and Sturt.
    • Transfer the south east portion of the proposed Adelaide to Sturt and make a complementary transfer of the north west portion of Sturt to Adelaide.
    • Transfer the portion of the City of Campbelltown not presently in the Proposed Sturt to that Division.
  8. With regard to the first transfer, the augmented Commission was of the view that the Proposal represented a more substantial and recognisable boundary than that suggested in the Objection. The second transfer would require considerable change and the Objection put forward no suggestion on how this might be effected. The augmented Commission noted this area had been the subject of Suggestions to the Redistribution Committee and it had been examined in that context. The Objection was rejected.
  9. Objection by the Australian Democrats: The Australian Democrats objected to the proposed boundaries and put forward suggested changes to most of the metropolitan Divisions, including Mayo.
  10. The augmented Electoral Commission did not accept the fundamental assumption upon which the Objection was based, that a shortened projection period would necessitate boundary changes to be determined taking account of future redistributions. The augmented Commission formed the view that the Proposal of the Redistribution Committee represented a superior set of boundaries to that of the Objection. Accordingly, the Objection was rejected.
  11. Displacement of Electors: Under the Proposal of the Redistribution Committee, the number of electors transferred to a different Division was 41,253. This represents 4.03% of the elector population of the State as at 10 February 1999, the quota date.
  12. Having agreed that no Objection would be upheld, the augmented Commission adopted as its Proposal, without change, the Proposal of the Redistribution Committee for South Australia. In accordance with Section 72(10)(b) of the Act, an announcement of the augmented Commission's Proposal was issued to the media on 12 July 1999.
  13. As the augmented Commission's Proposal does not differ from that of the Redistribution Committee an invitation for persons or organisations to lodge a further objection was not required.
AUGMENTED ELECTORAL COMMISSION FOR SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Trevor Morling Chairman
Bill Gray Members
Bill McLennan
Geoff Halsey
Peter Kentish
Ken MacPherson

1.3 STATISTICAL SUMMARY AND GENERAL DESCRIPTION OF THE MANNER IN WHICH EACH DIVISION HAS BEEN CONSTITUTED

The augmented Electoral Commission for South Australia determined, without change, the Proposal of the Redistribution Committee for South Australia as the Redistribution of the State of South Australia. The statistical summary and general description of the manner in which each Division has been constituted is as contained in the Report of the Redistribution Committee for South Australia, published on 21 May 1999. The detail from that Report is reproduced in Part Two of this Volume.