Proposed federal electoral divisions for the Northern Territory released

The Redistribution Committee for the Northern Territory today published its report proposing names and boundaries for the territory’s federal electoral divisions.

The Chair of the Committee and Electoral Commissioner, Tom Rogers, said the Northern Territory redistribution was required as more than seven years had elapsed since a federal redistribution was last undertaken in the Northern Territory.

“The 2023 determination of the number of members of the House of Representatives did not alter the Northern Territory’s entitlement to two members,” Mr Rogers said.

“Under the proposal, the boundaries of the Division of Lingiari and Solomon would be amended and the current names of both the Division of Lingiari and Solomon would be retained.”

YouTube: 2024 NT redistribution proposal

Proposed names and boundaries

The proposal would see:

• retention of the names of both electoral divisions in the Northern Territory
• movement of the boundary between the proposed Divisions of Lingiari and Solomon so that the proposed Division of Solomon encompasses all of the City of Palmerston, and
• retention of the Territories of Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island in the proposed Division of Lingiari.

Mr Rogers said the Committee faced a situation where by September 2028 the enrolment totals for the divisions of Lingiari and Solomon would not meet the numerical requirements.

“The proposed changes reflect the differing rates of population and enrolment growth in the Palmerston area, as well as taking into account the projected enrolment in the Divisions of Lingiari and Solomon through to 4 September 2028.”

“The status quo cannot be maintained, because without boundary adjustment, electoral enrolment in the Division of Lingiari will become comparatively too large and in the Division of Solomon too small,” Mr Rogers said.

For further details, please see the full proposal report,  including factors considered by the Northern Territory Redistribution Committee and maps of the proposed electoral divisions.

Further public input

Consultation on the redistribution continues, with individuals and organisations now able to submit feedback to the Redistribution Committee’s proposed divisions.

Written objections can agree or disagree with any aspect of the proposal. They must be lodged no later than 6pm ACST on Friday 15 November 2024. The best way to submit feedback is online but it can also be submitted via:

• Email – FedRedistribution-NT@aec.gov.au
• Post – Australian Electoral Commission (Attn: Northern Territory Redistribution Secretariat), Locked Bag 4007, Canberra ACT 2601
• In person – at the AEC office at Level 9, 9 Cavanagh St, Darwin City

All input received by the deadline will be available for public inspection on the redistributions website and at the office of the Australian Electoral Officer for the Northern Territory in Darwin (by during business hours only) from Monday 18 November 2024. Further comments will then be accepted until 6pm ACST on Friday 29 November 2024.

Editor’s notes:

• Further details, including the factors considered by the Redistribution Committee for the Northern Territory, can be found in the full redistribution proposal report and maps of proposed electoral divisions.
• Further information about the redistribution process and guidance on making submissions is also available.
• Information is also available about the recently completed New South Wales federal redistribution, Victorian federal redistribution and Western Australian federal redistribution.
• Members of the House of Representatives elected at the 2022 federal election, and in federal by-elections since that time, will continue to represent their respective electoral divisions until the next federal election.