10 November 2003

The augmented Electoral Commission for Queensland today announced it had concluded its deliberations on the boundaries and names for the 28 federal electoral Divisions in Queensland.

The presiding member of the Commission, the Honourable James Burchett QC, said that the Commission had adopted the proposal of the Redistribution Committee for Queensland published in August 2003, including naming the new division after the late Senator Neville Bonner AO, with the exception of a few minor changes.

"Before making its determination, the augmented Commission conducted a review of the Redistribution Committee's proposed redistribution of federal electoral boundaries and names in Queensland, and considered all the objections to this proposal and comments on these objections.

"In addition the Commission considered all the material placed before it at a public inquiry held in Brisbane on 16 October 2003," he added.

Mr Burchett said that the augmented Commission reached the conclusion that the criteria in the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 were met more completely by retaining the proposal made by the Redistribution Committee, with some minor changes.

"The Commission resolved that the changes it had determined in relation to the Redistribution Committee for Queensland's proposal for the State were not significant and, therefore, the redistribution process has been concluded without the need for further objections or hearings," he said.

"The formal determination of the Redistribution will be gazetted as soon as practicable and the augmented Electoral Commission for Queensland's full Report, including maps of Divisional boundaries, will be available in due course."

These new divisional boundaries will come into effect at the next federal election. Any by-election that may occur before the next federal election will be held on the current boundaries - as determined in 1997.

The changes the augmented Electoral Commission for Queensland made to the Redistribution Committee of Queensland's August proposal are as follows:

Divisions of Fairfax, Fisher and Longman

The augmented Electoral Commission adopted a revised boundary between the Divisions of Fairfax and Fisher in the Maroochydore area. It will now follow Cornmeal Creek, Southern Drive and the Sunshine Motorway to Maroochydore Road. The boundary between the Divisions of Fisher and Longman has been altered so that all of the localities of Glenview (west of Glasshouse Mountains Road) and Mooloolah Valley are in the Division of Fisher.

Divisions of Brisbane, Petrie and Ryan

The Commission determined to retain the pre-existing boundary between the Divisions of Brisbane and Ryan in The Gap and retain the suburbs of Milton and Paddington in the Division of Brisbane. To provide a clear boundary between the Divisions of Brisbane and Petrie in the Stafford/Everton Park area the Commission adopted a boundary using Wilgarning, Barokee, Barbigal, Redwood and Felstead Streets between Stafford and Old Northern Roads.

Divisions of Griffith and Moreton

The Commission determined to retain the suburb of Yeronga in the Division of Moreton whilst retaining a clear boundary between these two divisions. The boundary will follow the locality of Yeronga and then Villa Street, Cracknell, Toohey, Weller, Birdwood and Marshall Roads to the South East Freeway.

Divisions of Blair and Oxley

To retain a clear boundary and keep the bulk of the suburb of Blackstone in one division the Commission determined the boundary between the Divisions of Blair and Oxley to be the Cunningham Highway between Redbank Plains Road and Bundamba Creek and then Bundamba Creek to Robertson Road.

Further information

Ms Anne Bright
Australian Electoral Officer for Queensland
Ph. (07) 3834 3440

Phil Diak
Director Information
Ph. (02) 6271 4415

Background information

The members of the augmented Electoral Commission for Queensland are:

Chairperson of the Australian Electoral Commission	Hon JCS Burchett QC
Chairperson of the Australian Electoral Commission (until 21 October 2003)	Hon Trevor Morling QC
Electoral Commissioner	Mr Andy Becker
Non-judicial Commissioner (and Australian Statistician)	Mr Dennis Trewin
Australian Electoral Officer for Queensland	Ms Anne Bright
General Manager, Land Management and Use Department of Natural Resources and Mines	Mr Graeme Rush
Auditor-General for Queensland	Mr Len Scanlan

Detailed information can be obtained from the AEC website www.aec.gov.auby clicking "WHY", accessing the heading "Redistributions", then go to "Redistributions commenced in 2003 - Queensland". Electoral Newsfile 110 gives a general chronology of the redistribution process and statistical information relevant to the redistribution. The August 2003 report of the Redistribution Committee can also be accessed under this heading.