The final make-up of the ACT Legislative Assembly electoral boundaries for the 2008 election has been announced today by the acting Electoral Commissioner, Alison Purvis.

The Augmented ACT Electoral Commission has decided to alter the existing electoral boundaries by transferring the suburb of Farrer from the electorate of Molonglo to the electorate of Brindabella. This change has been made to ensure that each of the ACT's three electorates will be within 5% of the enrolment quota at the time of the 2008 election. The electorate of Ginninderra has not been changed, Ms Purvis said.

Four objections to its proposal to transfer the suburb of Farrer were lodged with the Augmented Commission. The Augmented Commission decided not to uphold the objections. The Augmented Commission's reasons for its redistribution are available from the ACT Electoral Commission's office at Level 2, 12 Moore Street, Civic, and from its website at www.elections.act.gov.au.

The final electorates are:

BRINDABELLA, a five member electorate comprising the district of Tuggeranong (excluding the suburb of Hume), the Woden Valley suburbs of Chifley, Farrer, Pearce and Torrens and the southern remainder of the ACT;

GINNINDERRA, a five member electorate comprising the districts of Belconnen and Hall (including the entire village of Hall) and the Gungahlin suburb of Nicholls; and

MOLONGLO, a seven member electorate comprising the districts of Gungahlin (excluding the suburb of Nicholls), Canberra Central, Weston Creek, Woden Valley (excluding the suburbs of Chifley, Farrer, Pearce and Torrens), Jerrabomberra (including the entire suburb of Hume), Kowen, Majura, and Stromlo.

A map of the new electorates can be obtained from the ACT Electoral Commission's website, www.elections.act.gov.au.

The redistribution of electoral boundaries will be formally completed by publication of an official instrument and a formal report to the ACT Legislative Assembly.

The Augmented ACT Electoral Commission consists of the Electoral Commission's Chairperson, Mr Roger Beale AO, the Electoral Commissioner, Mr Phillip Green, the Electoral Commission's Member, Dr Christabel Young, the Chief Planning Executive, ACT Planning and Land Authority, Mr Neil Savery, the acting Commissioner for Surveys, Mr Bill Hirst, and the Regional Director, ACT Office, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Ms Karen Macdonald.

Alison Purvis
Acting Electoral Commissioner