Information about the Australian Capital Territory federal redistribution

The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Electoral Act) outlines the redistribution processes.

Why is the Australian Capital Territory undergoing a redistribution?

The Australian Capital Territory will undergo a redistribution as more than seven years has elapsed since the last redistribution was determined.

For a state or territory, the Electoral Act specifies that a redistribution process should be undertaken in the following circumstances:

  • the number of members of the House of Representatives to which a state or territory is entitled has changed, or
  • the number of electors in a electorate in a territory deviates from the average enrolment by over 10 per cent for a period of more than two months, or
  • a period of seven years has elapsed since the last redistribution process was determined.

How many federal electorates will there be after the redistribution?

In accordance with the 2023 determination of entitlement to members of the House of Representatives, the Australian Capital Territory remains entitled to three electorates.

Will the boundaries of the current federal electorates change?

Federal electorates are required to fall within two numerical ranges:

  • the number of electors enrolled in each federal electorate on the determination date must be between minus 10 per cent and plus 10 per cent of the redistribution quota
  • as far as practicable, the projected number of electors enrolled in each federal electorate at the projection time would be between minus 3.5 per cent and plus 3.5 per cent of the projected enrolment quota.

On the boundaries in place on 12 August 2025, two of the Australian Capital Territory’s three federal electorates did not meet the requirement to be within these two numerical ranges.

Electorate

Enrolment as at 12 August 2025

Projected enrolment at 8 April 2030

Is the numerical requirement met?

Enrolment

Percentage variation from the redistribution quota

Projected enrolment

Percentage variation from the projected enrolment quota

Bean

114,006

6.26%

123,608

7.63%

No

Canberra

102,602

-4.37%

109,175

-4.93%

No

Fenner

105,271

-1.88%

111,742

-2.70%

Yes

Further information on the numerical ranges can be found here: Redistribution and projected enrolment quotas.

What is the result of requirement not being met?

As it is a legislative requirement to be within both of the specified ranges is not met by all three of the Australian Capital Territory’s federal electorates, the boundaries of these electorates will need to change. Changes may also be made to those electorates which meet the requirement as a consequence of changes to the boundaries of those electorates which do not meet the requirement.

Will the names of the current federal electorates change?

The names of the current federal electorates may or may not change.

Individuals and organisations can propose alternative names for electorates at two stages of the redistribution process:

  • Initial ideas and feedback
  • Ideas and feedback on the proposed redistribution report

The Redistribution Committee for the Australian Capital Territory will consider all input received. The Redistribution Committee for the Australian Capital Territory will indicate in its proposed redistribution whether it has or has not proposed changing the name of a federal electorate, together with reasons for the proposal.

Individuals and organisations can then provide feedback to the Redistribution Committee on the Australian Capital Territory’s proposed names. Feedback may agree or disagree with the Redistribution Committee’s proposal. Input received advocating a change of name for a federal electorate will be also be considered by the augmented Electoral Commission for the Australian Capital Territory. The augmented Electoral Commission for the Australian Capital Territory is ultimately responsible for determining the names of the federal electorates in the Australian Capital Territory.

Information about the names of current federal electorates in the Australian Capital Territory

How do current electorate names meet the guidelines for naming electorates?

The Guidelines for naming federal electorates were developed by the AEC from recommendations made by the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters in 1995 in its Report on the Effectiveness and Appropriateness of the Redistribution Provisions of Parts III and IV of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918. These guidelines are non-binding but may be referred to by the Redistribution Committee for the Australian Capital Territory or the augmented Electoral Commission for the Australian Capital Territory to assist with decision-making processes.

The extent to which the names of the Australian Capital Territory’s current federal electorates meet these guidelines is displayed below. The electorates are sortable by clicking on the header row.

Electorate Is the electorate named for a prominent person? Is the electorate named for an Australian Prime Minister? Is the electorate name that of an original Federation electorate? Is the electorate named for a geographical feature? Is the electorate named for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander person or word?
Bean Yes No No No No
Canberra No No No Yes Yes
Fenner Yes No No No No

Origins of name

The Electorate of Bean is named for Charles Edwin Woodrow Bean, 1879–1968, Australia's official correspondent to the Australian Imperial Force in World War One, editor of the Official History of Australia in the War of 1914–1918 and primary advocate to establish the Australian War Memorial.

Creation of electorate

The first electorate of this name was created on 13 July 2018 and was first represented in 2019.

More information

Biographical information about Charles Edwin Woodrow Bean from the Australian War Memorial.

Origins of name

The Electorate of Canberra is a locality name derived from an Aboriginal word which is held to mean 'meeting place'.

Creation of electorate

The first electorate of this name was created on 19 April 1974 and was first represented in 1974.

More information

Information about the name of Canberra can be found by conducting a place names search on the ACT place names website.

Origins of name

The Electorate of Fenner is named for Professor Frank Fenner AC CMG MBE FAA FRS FRACP FRCP, 1914–2010, eminent scientist of national and international renown who made significant contributions to improving the wellbeing of humanity.

Creation of electorate

The first electorate of this name was created on 26 January 2016 and was first represented in 2016.

More information

Biographical information about Frank Fenner from the Obituaries Australia website.

When will the redistribution come into effect?

Changes to federal electorates as a result of this redistribution will apply from the day on which a notice of determination is published in the Commonwealth Notices Government Gazette. This notice will be published on Thursday 8 October 2026.

Electoral events will not be contested on these new federal electorates until a writ is issued for a general election following the expiry or dissolution of the House of Representatives.

Updated: 8 October 2025