The ACT Redistribution Committee has proposed changing the ACT Legislative Assembly electoral boundaries for the 2012 election, the ACT Electoral Commissioner Phillip Green said today.

The Redistribution Committee has proposed that:

• The suburbs of Palmerston and Crace be transferred from Molonglo to Ginninderra; and
• The portion of the district of Molonglo Valley north of the Molonglo River be transferred from Ginninderra to Molonglo.

The proposed changes are shown on the map here.

Members of the public have 28 days in which to object to the Redistribution Committee’s proposal. Objections in writing may be made to the ACT Electoral Commission up to 2 June 2011.

One key requirement for an ACT redistribution is ensuring that electoral enrolments in the three electorates will be within +/- 5% of the quota at the time of the next election. This requirement is aimed at ensuring “one vote, one value”, Mr Green said. The quota for the two 5 member electorates is 5/17 of the ACT total enrolment, and the quota for the 7 member electorate is 7/17 of the ACT total.

The following table shows the enrolment totals in each current electorate in March 2011 and estimated enrolment totals at the time of the next election in October 2012. This table shows that the electorate of Molonglo is expected to be around 6.5% over the quota in 2012 and the electorate of Ginninderra is expected to be around 5.6% below the quota in 2012.

The Redistribution Committee considered that the boundaries must be changed to ensure that all three electorates will be within 5% of the quota at the time of the next election.

The Committee’s proposed boundaries would reduce the size of Molonglo and increase Ginninderra while making no change to Brindabella, bringing each electorate within 5% of the quota in 2012, whilst minimising disturbance to the current electorates.  The following table sets out the enrolment estimates for the proposed electorates.

A map of the proposed electorates is available here. 

A notice inviting public objections and including a map of the proposed electorates is being published in the Canberra Times today, 5 May 2011.  The Committee’s reasons for its proposal and copies of public suggestions made to the Committee are available from the ACT Electoral Commission’s office at Ground floor, North Building, Civic Square, London Circuit, Canberra City and from this link.

The Redistribution Committee consists of the Electoral Commissioner, Mr Phillip Green, who is chairperson of the Redistribution Committee; the Chief Planning Executive, ACT Planning and Land Authority, Mr Neil Savery; the Surveyor-General, Mr Bill Hirst; and the Regional Director, ACT Office, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Mr Stephen Collett.

Objections to the Redistribution Committee’s proposal will be considered by the augmented ACT Electoral Commission, chaired by the Commission’s Chairperson, Mr Roger Beale AO.

Phillip Green

Electoral Commissioner