Names and boundaries of federal electoral divisions in Western Australia decided

The augmented Electoral Commission for Western Australia today announced the final outcome of the Western Australian federal redistribution.

The Hon. Susan Kenny AM KC, the presiding member, thanked the individuals and organisations who contributed to the redistribution.

“All written objections and comments, as well as the information presented at the inquiry, have been carefully considered in deciding the final names and boundaries,” she said.

“The augmented Electoral Commission has unanimously accepted the creation of the new Division of Bullwinkel and has agreed to modify the boundaries of six of the electoral divisions initially proposed in May,” she said.

As a result of these modifications, fewer electors will change their electoral division.

Electoral division names

All seat names initially proposed in May have been adopted.

This means that Western Australia will retain the names of the 15 current electoral divisions while naming the new electoral division ‘Bullwinkel’ in honour of Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel AO MBE ARRC ED FNM FRCNA (1915-2000).

Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel

The augmented Electoral Commission agreed that naming an electoral division after Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel recognised her significant contribution to Australia, her important connection to Western Australia formed during her 23-year residence in the state, and her work to:

• move Australian nursing education from hospitals to universities,
• honour military personnel, especially nurses and medical personnel, and the victims of war crimes,
• commemorate those killed on Bangka Island, and
• highlight the treatment of prisoners of war during World War II.

Naming an electoral division after Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel not only recognises Bullwinkel herself, but also honours the contribution of military nurses and other medical personnel, prisoners of war and the 21 nurses who died on Bangka Island.

Electoral division boundaries

The initial redistribution proposal has been modified by placing:

• the Shire of Waroona in the proposed Division of Canning
• this means it remains in the same division as it is currently
• the proposal had the Shire of Waroona in the proposed Division of Forrest

• the suburb of Malaga in the proposed Division of Cowan
• this means it remains in the same division as it is currently
• the proposal had the suburb of Malaga in the proposed Division of Hasluck

• part of the suburb of Kardinya (located to the south of South Street and west of North Lake Road) in the proposed Division of Fremantle
• the proposal had that part of the suburb of Kardinya in the proposed Division of Tangney

• part of the suburb of Leeming (part of the City of Cockburn, located to the north of the Roe Highway) in the proposed Division of Tangney
• the proposal had that part of the suburb of Leeming in the proposed Division of Fremantle

Next steps

The names and boundaries announced today are not considered to be significantly different from the initial proposal in May. Therefore, no further input from members of the public will be sought.

Western Australia’s new names and boundaries will be formally determined on 24 September 2024, when a notice of determination is published in the Commonwealth Government Notices Gazette. While members of the House of Representatives will continue to represent their current seats, a federal election with a writ issued after 24 September will be run on the new boundaries.

Overview maps will be available on the AEC website on 24 September 2024. Detailed maps and a report outlining the augmented Electoral Commission's reasons for its formal determination will be tabled in federal parliament and will subsequently be made publicly available.

Editor’s notes:

• Initial proposal for the redistribution of Western Australia (31 May 2024)

• Written objections and comments on those objections are all available via the dedicated redistributions website as well as a full overview of the augmented Electoral Commission's conclusions on objections.

• More information about the Western Australian federal redistribution

• Victorian federal redistribution: The announcement of the final names and boundaries of the 38 electoral divisions in Victoria.

• New South Wales federal redistribution: The augmented Electoral Commission for New South Wales is currently deliberating on the names and boundaries of the 46 electoral divisions in New South Wales.