Proposed Redistribution of Federal Electoral Divisions in South Australia: 27 March 2026

Overview

The Redistribution of Federal Electoral Divisions in South Australia Act 2026 was enacted by the Australian Parliament to ensure the periodic redistribution of federal electoral boundaries in South Australia, which is mandated by the Electoral Act. This Act was introduced to address the need for an equitable distribution of electors across federal electoral divisions, in line with the constitutional requirement that electoral divisions within a state be roughly equal in population. The redistribution process was triggered due to the expiration of the seven-year period since the last redistribution, as stipulated by section 59 of the Electoral Act. The Redistribution Committee for South Australia was tasked with proposing a redistribution that adheres to the legal requirements set out in section 66 of the Electoral Act, including maintaining a population deviation of no more than 10% from the redistribution quota within each proposed electorate. The redistribution quota was determined to be 130,786 electors as of 12 August 2025. The proposed redistribution also seeks to project enrolments by 8 April 2030 to within 3.5% of the projected enrolment quota of 136,333 electors, while considering factors such as community interests, means of communication, physical features, and existing boundaries. The Redistribution Committee has proposed significant changes to the boundaries of seven of the ten electorates in South Australia, while retaining the boundaries of Adelaide, Hindmarsh, and Sturt. The Committee also proposed renaming the electorate of Grey to O’Donoghue in honour of Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue's contributions to Indigenous health, advocacy, and public administration. The public has been invited to submit objections and feedback on the proposed redistribution, which will be considered by the Electoral Commission for South Australia to determine the final electorate boundaries and names. The proposed redistribution is currently open for public inspection and submissions, with deadlines for lodging objections and comments set for 24 April 2026 and 8 May 2026, respectively. Submissions can be made via the Australian Electoral Commission's website, email, mail, or in person, and all submissions will be made publicly available on the AEC website, with personal details removed to protect the privacy of submitters. The Electoral Commission for South Australia will review the Redistribution Committee's proposal and public submissions to inform the final electorate boundaries and names for South Australia.

Scope and Application

The proposed Redistribution of Federal Electoral Divisions in South Australia under the Electoral Act is a legislative process that governs the adjustment of boundaries and the number of electors within each federal electorate in the state. This redistribution, mandated by the Electoral Commission, is necessitated when more than seven years have passed since the last redistribution, ensuring equitable representation and adherence to legal requirements. Specifically, the Redistribution Committee must ensure that the number of electors in each proposed electoral division does not deviate by more than 10 per cent from the redistribution quota of 130,786, as determined by the Electoral Commissioner. Additionally, the Committee must consider community interests, means of communication and travel, physical features, and existing boundaries when proposing new electoral divisions. The proposed changes affect 51,659 electors, with an additional 133,313 electors impacted by the renaming of the Grey electorate to O’Donoghue, in recognition of Dr Lowitja O’Donoghue's contributions. The public is invited to review the proposed redistribution, maps, and report, and submit objections and comments by specified deadlines, with all submissions being published on the AEC website. The Electoral Commission will consider these submissions to finalise the electorate boundaries and names.

Key Provisions

The Redistribution Committee for South Australia, pursuant to section 66 of the Electoral Act, has proposed a redistribution of federal electoral divisions. The proposed redistribution adheres to strict quotas; the number of electors in each division must not deviate by more than 10 per cent above or below the redistribution quota of 130,786 electors as at 12 August 2025 (section 66(1)). Furthermore, the Committee has endeavoured to ensure that the number of electors enrolled in each electorate at the projection time of 8 April 2030 will not deviate by more than 3.5 per cent above or below the projected enrolment quota of 136,333 electors (section 66(1A)). The Redistribution Committee must also consider several factors in proposing each electoral division, including community of interests, means of communication and travel, physical features and area, and existing boundaries (section 66(2)). The proposed redistribution includes changes to the boundaries of seven out of ten federal electorates in South Australia. The electorates of Adelaide, Hindmarsh, and Sturt remain unchanged. The electorate of Grey has been proposed to be renamed O'Donoghue in honour of Dr Lowitja O'Donoghue. This change will affect 51,659 electors who will change their federal electorate and 133,313 electors who will be affected by the renaming of the electorate. Members of the public and organisations can lodge written objections to the proposed redistribution by 6pm (ACST) on Friday 24 April 2026. Written comments on the objections can be lodged by 6pm (ACST) on Friday 8 May 2026. All submissions will be published on the AEC website, with personal details removed prior to publication. The augmented Electoral Commission for South Australia will consider the Redistribution Committee's proposal and public submissions to inform the final electorate boundaries and names for South Australia. The Electoral Act provides for penalties for non-compliance with the requirements of the Act. The maximum penalty for failing to comply with a requirement or prohibition under the Act is a fine of 5,000 penalty units, imprisonment for five years, or both. The maximum penalty for knowingly or recklessly making a false or misleading statement in a document required by the Act is a fine of 2,500 penalty units or imprisonment for two years, or both. These penalties apply to both individuals and corporations.