Proposed Redistribution of Federal Electoral Divisions in Victoria

PROPOSED Redistribution of Federal Electoral DIVISIONS IN VICTORIA

The Redistribution Committee for Victoria (the Redistribution Committee) has made a proposed redistribution of federal electoral divisions in Victoria.

Members of the public and organisations are invited to inspect the report of the Redistribution Committee which contains:

• reasons for the proposed redistribution,
• maps showing the names and boundaries of each proposed electoral division, and
• suggestions and comments on suggestions previously lodged with the Redistribution Committee.

Members of the public and organisations are now invited to lodge written objections to the proposed redistribution.  Objections may agree or disagree with what has been proposed.

WHY IS A REDISTRIBUTION BEING CONDUCTED?

As part of a determination of the number of members of the House of Representatives to which each state and territory will be entitled at the next federal general election on Thursday 31 August 2017, the Electoral Commissioner determined Victoria’s entitlement increased from 37 to 38 members of the House of Representatives. 

As a redistribution is required when a state’s entitlement to members of the House of Representatives changes, on Monday 4 September 2017, in accordance with section 59 of Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (the Electoral Act), the Electoral Commission directed that a redistribution of Victoria commence.

LEGAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A REDISTRIBUTION

In making its proposed redistribution, the Redistribution Committee was bound by section 66 of the Electoral Act.

The number of electors in each proposed electoral division must not deviate by more than 10 per cent above or below the current enrolment quota. The current enrolment quota for Victoria was determined by the Electoral Commissioner to be 106,954 as at Monday 4 September 2017.

As far as practicable, the Redistribution Committee must ensure that the number of electors enrolled in each division at Sunday 25 August 2019 (the projection time) will not deviate by more than 3.5 per cent above or below the projected enrolment quota of 110,372 electors.

Enrolment as at Monday 4 September 2017, the projected enrolment figures, current and projected enrolment quotas, and the redistribution timetable, are available on the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) website: www.aec.gov.au/vic-redistribution

Section 66 of the Electoral Act also provides that the Redistribution Committee:

‘give due consideration, in relation to each proposed Electoral Division, to:

(i) community of interests within the proposed Electoral Division, including economic, social and regional interests;

(ii)                 means of communication and travel within the proposed Electoral Division;

(iv) the physical features and area of the proposed Electoral Division; and

(v) the boundaries of existing Divisions in the State or Territory’.

Consideration of existing boundaries is subordinate to the other factors set out above.

WHAT HAS HAPPENED SO FAR?

Notices inviting suggestions relating to the redistribution and comments on suggestions were placed in:

• the Commonwealth Government Notices Gazette (the Gazette) on Wednesday 18 October 2017,

• the Age, Herald Sun and Weekend Australian on Saturday 21 October 2017,
• the Weekly Times on Wednesday 1 November 2017, and
• the Koori Mail on Wednesday 1 November 2017.

Sixty-seven suggestions and 58 comments on suggestions were received and all were considered by the Redistribution Committee in the development of its proposal.  

The proposed federal electoral divisions

The new Division of Fraser, named in honour of the former Prime Minister, the Rt Hon. John Malcolm Fraser AC CH (1930–2015), is proposed to include the majority of the local government area of Brimbank City Council, and a part of Maribyrnong City Council. 

The Redistribution Committee proposes retaining the names of 33 of Victoria’s existing electoral divisions and changing the names of:

• the Division of Corangamite to ‘Cox’ in honour of May Cox (1883–1953), for her lasting legacy in teaching swimming and lifesaving to Victorians,
• the Division of McMillan to ‘Monash’ in honour of Sir John Monash CB(M) KCB(M) GCMG (1865–1931), who was one of the foremost Allied military commanders of the First World War and was recognised for his outstanding contributions to the community,
• the Division of Melbourne Ports to ‘Macnamara’ in honour of Dame Annie Jean Macnamara DBE (1899–1968), for her contributions to medical science and improving the lives of patients suffering from paralysis, and
• the Division of Murray to ‘Nicholls’ in honour of Sir Douglas Ralph Nicholls MBE(C) OBE(C) KCVO (1906–1988) and Lady Gladys Nicholls (1906–1981), for their significant contribution in advocating for Aboriginal rights and welfare.

The proposed re-naming of an electoral division will affect 428,473 electors enrolled in Victoria (or 10.54 per cent of all electors enrolled in Victoria on Monday 4 September 2017) as a result of the proposed redistribution.

The Redistribution Committee proposes changing the boundaries of all of Victoria’s existing electoral divisions.

Under the proposed redistribution, 791,606 electors enrolled in Victoria (or 19.48 per cent of all electors enrolled in Victoria on Monday 4 September 2017) will change their federal electoral division as a result of the proposed redistribution.

VIEWING THE REDISTRIBUTION COMMITTEE’S PROPOSAL

The Redistribution Committee’s report, including maps, is available electronically on the AEC website (www.aec.gov.au/vic-redistribution).

A printed copy of the report can also be inspected in AEC offices in Victoria and at the office of the Australian Electoral Officer for Victoria (Level 1 Urban Workshop, 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne). The location of each AEC office is available on the AEC website or by phoning 13 23 26.

What happens next?

Objections

Any interested person or organisation who wishes to make an objection to the proposed boundaries or names of electoral divisions contained in the proposed redistribution has until 6pm AEST Friday 4 May 2018 to lodge a written objection via the means listed in the ‘How to lodge an objection or comment on an objection’ section below. Objections received after the prescribed lodgement time cannot be considered.

People or organisations making objections are requested, where practical, to provide any paper maps in A4/A3 size to facilitate copying.

Comments on objections

Objections will be available for public inspection from Monday 7 May 2018 at the office of the Australian Electoral Officer for Victoria (Level 1 Urban Workshop, 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne) and on the AEC’s website (www.aec.gov.au/vic-redistribution). Any written comments on the objections must be lodged in writing with the AEC by 6pm AEST Friday 18 May 2018. Comments received after the prescribed lodgement time cannot be considered.

The comments on objections will be available for public inspection from Monday 21 May 2018 at the office of the Australian Electoral Officer for Victoria (Level 1 Urban Workshop, 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne) and on the AEC’s website (www.aec.gov.au/vic-redistribution).

Objections considered by the augmented Electoral Commission

Written objections and comments on objections are considered by the augmented Electoral Commission. The augmented Electoral Commission for Victoria comprises of:

• the three members of the Australian Electoral Commission – the Chairperson, the Electoral Commissioner and a non-judicial member, currently the Australian Statistician, and
• the three remaining members of the Redistribution Committee – the Australian Electoral Officer for Victoria, Surveyor-General of Victoria and Auditor-General for Victoria.

As part of its considerations, the augmented Electoral Commission may hold an inquiry into any objection or comment on an objection.

The second redistribution proposal

After it has considered all objections and comments, the augmented Electoral Commission will make its own proposed redistribution. 

Further objections

If the augmented Electoral Commission’s proposed redistribution is significantly different from the Redistribution Committee’s proposal, the augmented Electoral Commission will invite further objections. Information will be provided should this stage be required.

Final determination

After considering all submissions, the augmented Electoral Commission will make a final determination of boundaries and names of the electoral divisions for Victoria by notice published in the Gazette Friday 13 July 2018.

Copies of the augmented Electoral Commission’s determination and reasons for that determination, together with the work of the Redistribution Committee, will be tabled in both Houses of Parliament. Once this has occurred, this material will be made available to the public via the AEC website.

When will the new federal ELECTORAL DIVISONS come into effect?

The new names and boundaries of electoral divisions will be in place from the determination on Friday 13 July 2018.  However, electoral events will not be contested on these new electoral divisions until a writ is issued for a general election following the expiry or dissolution of the House of Representatives.

HOW TO LODGE AN OBJECTION OR A COMMENT ON AN OBJECTION

Objections and comments on objections should be lodged via the AEC website at www.aec.gov.au/vic-redistribution. Objections and comments on objections can also be submitted:

• by email to: FedRedistribution-VIC@aec.gov.au
• in person, during business hours, to: Redistribution Secretariat for Victoria, Australian Electoral Commission, Level 1 Urban Workshop, 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne
• by mail to: Redistribution Secretariat for Victoria, Australian Electoral Commission, GPO Box 768, Melbourne VIC 3001
• by fax to: 02 6293 7664.

Public availability of OBJECTIONS and comments on OBJECTIONS

The Electoral Act requires that submissions to the Redistribution Committee be made publicly available. Copies of all submissions will be made available in full for public inspection at the office of the Australian Electoral Officer for Victoria (at Level 1 Urban Workshop, 50 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne), in accordance with the Electoral Act.

All submissions will also be published in full on the AEC’s website and included in reports produced by the augmented Electoral Commission.

Signatures and address details of people and organisations who lodge written submissions will be removed prior to publication.

It is strongly recommended those wishing to make an objection or comments on objections read the ‘Guidelines for making a public submission’.

MORE INFORMATION

Persons or organisations intending to make submissions are urged to take account of the requirements of the Electoral Act. In particular, those making submissions are advised to ensure their submissions are in the physical possession of the Australian Electoral Commission by the relevant closing time.

A wide range of information is available on the AEC’s website, including:

• further information about the federal redistribution process in Victoria, including an indicative timetable and background information – www.aec.gov.au/vic-redistribution
• information about current electoral divisions in Victoria – www.aec.gov.au/profiles/index.htm
• Guidelines for making a public submission – www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/guidelines-for-submissions.htm
• Guidelines for naming federal electoral divisions – www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/guidelines.htm
• the legal requirements for a federal redistribution as outlined in Part IV of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 – www.aec.gov.au/Elections/australian_electoral_system/Electoral_Legislation.htm)
• general information about the redistribution process – www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/.

Further information can be obtained from the Redistribution Secretariat:

Telephone: 03 9285 7197

Email: FedRedistribution-VIC@aec.gov.au