ACT Legislative Assembly electoral boundaries redistribution – public suggestion period to commence
MEDIA RELEASE
06 September 2026
"The ACT's Electoral Act 1992 requires the ACT Electoral Commission to commence a redistribution of ACT Legislative Assembly electorates as soon as practicable after the beginning of the period 25 months before the next ACT Legislative Assembly election. For the 2028 ACT election, that period began on 21 September 2026," ACT Electoral Commissioner Mr Damian Cantwell AM CSC said today.
"In accordance with the Electoral Act, the redistribution process commenced on 22 September 2026 with the establishment of the Redistribution Committee. The Redistribution Committee consists of the ACT Electoral Commissioner; the territory planning authority, Mr George Cilliers; the ACT Surveyor-General, Mr Greg Ledwidge; and the Director of Demography, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Ms Beidar Cho."
"The ACT Redistribution Committee met for the first time on 24 September 2026," Mr Cantwell said.
"The next step in the process is to invite ACT residents to suggest how Legislative Assembly electoral boundaries and electorate names for the 2028 ACT election should be configured. Redistributions occur between elections to ensure electorates continue to reflect population and enrolment changes across the Territory."
"It is important that the public is provided with a full, fair and transparent opportunity to participate in this statutory process to make boundary and naming suggestions, and comments on those suggestions. Accordingly, the Committee is commencing the initial public consultation process today, 6 October," Mr Cantwell said.
Information about the redistribution, enrolment statistics, mapping tools and how to make a suggestion is available on the ACT Electoral Commission website at www.elections.act.gov.au/elections/our-electoral-system/electorate-boundaries/redistributions/20262027-redistribution.
An official notice inviting suggestions for electoral boundaries and electorate names has been published in The Canberra Times.
Interested persons and organisations will then have 28 days to make suggestions to the Redistribution Committee, with the suggestion period closing on Tuesday, 3 November. Those suggestions will then be made available for public comment, and the public will have a further 14 days in which to make comments upon those suggestions.
After considering the public submissions, the Redistribution Committee will publish a proposed redistribution of the ACT into five electorates. The public will then have a further 28 days in which to object to the proposed electoral boundaries and electorate names.
The ACT Legislative Assembly consists of 25 Members elected from five electorates, with five Members representing each of the current electorates of Brindabella, Ginninderra, Kurrajong, Murrumbidgee and Yerrabi.
"A key requirement of the redistribution is that electoral enrolments in each electorate are expected to be within 5 per cent of the quota at the time of the next election. The quota for each electorate is one-fifth of the ACT's total enrolment," Mr Cantwell said.
In redrawing electoral boundaries, the Redistribution Committee is required to take into account community of interests, including economic, social and regional interests; means of communication and travel; the physical features and area of each proposed electorate; the boundaries of existing electorates; and the boundaries of suburban divisions and sections.
The Committee has not formed any views about possible changes to electoral boundaries or electorate names and is commencing consultation with an open mind.
Complete electoral enrolment statistics and further information about the redistribution process are available on the ACT Electoral Commission website.
Damian Cantwell AM CSC
Electoral Commissioner
--------------------------------------------ENDS---------------------------------------------
Media contact:
Viviana.torres@act.gov.au
(02) 620 73358
Further information:
ACT Electoral Commission
Nara Centre, 3 Constitution Ave
Canberra City ACT 2601
Phone (02) 6205 0033
Email: elections@act.gov.au
Homepage: www.elections.act.gov.au