Media release: Augmented Electoral Commission decides names and boundaries of federal electoral divisions in the Northern Territory

The augmented Electoral Commission for the Northern Territory today announced the outcome of its deliberations on the names and boundaries of the two federal electoral divisions in the Northern Territory.

The Hon. Dennis Cowdroy OAM QC, the presiding member, thanked the individuals and organisations who contributed to the redistribution of the Northern Territory by providing written submissions throughout the redistribution process, and who participated in the inquiry on 22 November 2016. All objections, comments on objections and submissions to the inquiry were carefully considered by the augmented Electoral Commission.

"After a thorough consideration of these contributions, the augmented Electoral Commission has adopted the redistribution proposed by the Redistribution Committee for the Northern Territory without change," Mr Cowdroy said.

The full proposal was detailed in the Redistribution Committee's report of 9 September 2016: Proposed redistribution of the Northern Territory into electoral divisions.

This will see:

• the entirety of the Litchfield Municipality located in the proposed Division of Lingiari
  • This will involve the transfer of the suburbs of Holtze, Knuckey Lagoon, Micket Creek and part of Shoal Bay from the Division of Solomon to the proposed Division of Lingiari.
• parts of the Palmerston Municipality located in the proposed Division of Lingiari
  • This will involve the transfer of the suburbs of Farrar, Johnston, Mitchell, Zuccoli and part of Yarrawonga from the Division of Solomon to the proposed Division of Lingiari.

The augmented Electoral Commission have therefore proposed that:

• the proposed Division of Lingiari will consist of:
  • the Alice Springs Municipality, Barkly Shire, Belyuen Community Council, Central Desert Shire, Coomalie Community Government Council, East Arnhem Shire, Katherine Municipality, Litchfield Municipality, MacDonnell Shire, Roper Gulf Shire, Victoria Daly Shire, Wagait Shire, West Arnhem Shire and West Daly Region,
  • the towns of Alyangula, Nhulunbuy and Yulara,
  • the unincorporated areas north and east of Litchfield Municipality, south-east of Coomalie Shire, and west of Litchfield and Palmerston Municipality,
  • part of the Palmerston Municipality, specifically the suburbs of Farrar, Johnston, Mitchell, Yarrawonga and Zuccoli,
  • Tiwi Islands,
  • Groote Eylandt,
  • the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Islands, and
  • the Territory of Christmas Island.
• the proposed Division of Solomon will consist of:
  • the Darwin Municipality,
  • the Palmerston Municipality, with the exception of the suburbs of Farrar, Johnston, Mitchell, Yarrawonga and Zuccoli, and
  • the unincorporated areas of the Darwin Rates Act Area and East Arm.

A full overview of the augmented Electoral Commission's conclusions on objections to the Redistribution Committee's proposed redistribution is available.

The augmented Electoral Commission notes this proposal is not significantly different from the proposal of the Redistribution Committee and therefore no further input from members of the public will be sought.

The names and boundaries of the federal electoral divisions for the Northern Territory will apply from 7 February 2017 when a notice of determination is published in the Commonwealth Government Notices Gazette. Electoral events will not be contested on these new federal electoral divisions until a writ is issued for a general election following the expiry or dissolution of the House of Representatives.

Overview maps will be available on the AEC website on 7 February 2017. Detailed maps and a report outlining the augmented Electoral Commission's reasons for its formal determination will be tabled in the Federal Parliament and will subsequently be made publicly available.

More information about the Northern Territory federal redistribution is available on the AEC website.

Editor's notes:

A Redistribution Committee is appointed for the state or territory in which a redistribution has commenced.

The Redistribution Committee for the Northern Territory consisted of:

• the Electoral Commissioner,
• the Australian Electoral Officer for the Northern Territory,
• the Surveyor-General of the Northern Territory, and
• the Auditor-General for the Northern Territory.

The Redistribution Committee is responsible for considering inputs from the public and making a proposed redistribution.

The augmented Electoral Commission considers any objections to a proposed redistribution and makes a final determination of the names and boundaries of the redistributed divisions. The augmented Electoral Commission for the Northern Territory consists of:

• the Chairperson of the Electoral Commission,
• the non-judicial member of the Electoral Commission, currently the Australian Statistician,
• the Electoral Commissioner,
• the Australian Electoral Officer for the Northern Territory,
• the Surveyor-General of the Northern Territory, and
• the Auditor-General for the Northern Territory.

Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island

Under section 56A of the Electoral Act, until such time as the Territory of the Christmas Islands or the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Island is entitled to a member of the House of Representatives, each Territory is to be included in an electoral division in the Northern Territory.

As part of a determination on 13 November 2014 of the number of members of the House of Representatives to which each state and territory will be entitled at the next federal general election, it was determined that:

• the Territory of Christmas Island was not entitled to a member of the House of Representatives, and
• the Territory of Cocos (Keeling) Island was not entitled to a member of the House of Representatives.

Christmas Island and Cocos (Keeling) Island will therefore need to be located in the same electoral division in the Northern Territory, namely the proposed Division of Lingiari.