West Australians have chance to shape new federal electorates

Members of the public are invited to propose changes to the boundaries and names of federal electorates in Western Australia.

The decrease in Western Australia’s entitlement, from 16 to 15 members of the House of Representatives, together with recent population and enrolment growth in areas of WA, will require most of the state’s federal divisions to be altered to some degree.

From today, 23 September, members of the public can start lodging written submissions with the Redistribution Committee for Western Australia.

The deadline for submissions is 6pm AWST on Friday 23 October 2020, and written suggestions will be published on the Australian Electoral Commission website on Monday 26 October 2020. The public will then have until 6pm AWST on Friday 6 November 2020 to lodge written comments on suggestions.

The Australian Electoral Commissioner and Chair of the Redistribution Committee for Western Australia, Tom Rogers, said the Committee would review all ideas, suggestions and comments, and then release proposed division names and boundaries in the first quarter of 2021.

“Carrying out regular reviews of federal divisions is essential to the maintenance of our fair, open and internationally admired Australian electoral system,” Mr Rogers said.

“It is particularly important this time around in Western Australia because – in light of a recent determination based on fresh population figures – the state’s entitlement has decreased from 16 to 15 House seats.

“The Committee is inviting people to put forward, in writing, their ideas about the names of federal divisions, where the boundaries should be, or both.”

To lodge suggestions or obtain more information, visit the special WA redistribution page.

Other avenues for submissions are:

• Email – via online form
• Fax – 02 6293 7658
• Post – Redistribution Committee for Western Australia, Australian Electoral Commission, Locked Bag 4007, Canberra ACT 2601.

Editor’s notes:

• Enrolment and projected enrolment by electoral division, SA2 and SA1, together with explanatory material, is available on the AEC website. The SA1s used for this redistribution are those used for the 2016 Census.
• Further information about the redistribution process, including guidance on making submissions and guidelines for naming electoral divisions, is available on the AEC website.