2015 redistribution
A redistribution of electoral boundaries for the ACT Legislative Assembly commenced in October 2014 and concluded in May 2015. The redistribution determined the boundaries and names for 5 electorates, each with 5 members, for the 2016 ACT Legislative Assembly election.
The final Redistribution Report 2015 (PDF 20 MB) was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on 4 August 2015.
More information about the redistribution process is on the redistributions fact sheet.
Step 1 - Appointment of the Redistribution Committee
The first step in a redistribution process is the appointment, by the ACT Electoral Commission, of a Redistribution Committee. The Redistribution Committee was appointed by the Commission on 21 October 2014.
The Redistribution Committee consisted of the Electoral Commissioner, Phillip Green; the ACT Planning and Land Authority, Dorte Ekelund; the ACT Surveyor-General, Jeffrey Brown; and the ACT Regional Director, ACT Regional Office, Australian Bureau of Statistics, Cassandra Gligora. Note: Jeffrey Brown replaced Bill Hirst as ACT Surveyor-General on 1 December 2014.
Step 2a - Call for public suggestions
Before the Redistribution Committee made its proposal, any interested persons or organisations who wished to make suggestions regarding the redistribution were given 28 days to forward suggestions in writing to the Redistribution Committee.
Written suggestions and written comments on suggestions were invited on 6 November 2014 through a notice published on the ACT Legislation Register and in the Canberra Times, and closed on Thursday 4 December 2014.
- Guidelines for submissions (PDF 2 MB)
- Current and projected electoral enrolment statistics (XLS 76 kB)
- Current and projected electoral enrolment statistics (CSV 5 kB)
Step 2b - List of public suggestions
Submissions from individuals and organisations for the 2015 redistribution process can be viewed in the final redistribution report (PDF 20 MB).
Step 3 - Comments on public suggestions
Copies of all suggestions received by the Committee were made available for public inspection on the ACT Electoral Commission's website and at the Electoral Commissioner’s office from 5 December 2014.
Written comments relating to those suggestions were due to be lodged with the Redistribution Committee by 18 December 2014. Nine comments were received.
- ACT Labor (PDF 234 kB)
- Ben Little (PDF 213 kB)
- Joshua Petrass (PDF 965 kB)
- Mark Mulcair (PDF 73 kB)
- Martin Gordon (PDF 416 kB)
- M Richards (PDF 554 kB)
- Nathan Bennett (PDF 155 kB)
- Simon Butt (PDF 548 kB)
- Watson Community Association (PDF 163 kB)
Step 4 - The first proposed redistribution
Following consideration of the submissions, the Redistribution Committee published its proposed redistribution on 31 March 2015, setting out the proposed boundaries and names of the 5 new electorates.
The Redistribution Committee proposed that the 5 electorates for the ACT Legislative Assembly be as follows:
Brindabella, comprising the district of Tuggeranong (excluding the suburb of Kambah) and the districts of Booth, Cotter River, Paddys River, Rendezvous Creek, Tennent and Mount Clear;
Ginninderra, comprising the district of Belconnen (excluding the suburbs of Evatt, Giralang, Kaleen, Lawson and McKellar);
Kurrajong, comprising the districts of Canberra Central, Jerrabomberra, Kowen and Majura;
Murrumbidgee, comprising the districts of Molonglo Valley, Weston Creek, Woden Valley, Coree and Stromlo, and the Tuggeranong suburb of Kambah; and
Yerrabi, comprising the districts of Gungahlin and Hall, and the Belconnen suburbs of Evatt, Giralang, Kaleen, Lawson and McKellar.
A notice inviting objections to the proposed boundaries was published in the Canberra Times on Tuesday, 31 March 2015.
Members of the public were invited to make written objections to the proposal to the Augmented ACT Electoral Commission. Objections needed to be lodged with the Augmented Electoral Commission by Tuesday 28 April 2015.
- Proposed redistribution report (PDF 1.5 MB)
- Notifiable instrument (PDF 675 kB)
- Proposed electorate map (PDF 1.4 MB)
Step 5 - Objections to the proposed redistribution
Following the publication of the first proposed redistribution on 31 March 2015, there were 28 days within which initial objections to the proposed redistribution could be lodged by members of the public or organisations.
Nine objections were received by the close of the objection period on 28 April 2015. One of those objections was withdrawn upon request.
Objections from organisations:
Objections from individuals:
- Arno Mikli (PDF 44 kB)
- Chris Erett (PDF 432 kB)
- David Roberts (PDF 27 kB)
- Matthew Watts (PDF 966 kB)
- Nathan Bennett (PDF 40 kB)
- Tim Walshaw (PDF 234 kB)
- Joel Dignam - withdrawn upon request
Late submissions:
Step 6 - Objections considered by the Augmented Electoral Commission
The Augmented Electoral Commission - consisting of the 3 members of the ACT Electoral Commission and the other 3 members of the Redistribution Committee - decided to accept the electoral boundaries proposed by the ACT Redistribution Committee and that it would not uphold any of the objections to the proposed redistribution of the ACT's electorate boundaries.
The objections and the late submissions were carefully considered by the Augmented Commission. The Augmented Commission decided that the objections did not raise any substantive new matters that had not already been addressed by the Redistribution Committee in its consideration of the public suggestions and comments. Accordingly the Augmented Commission did not consider that it was necessary to hold a public hearing into the objections.
As the Augmented Commission accepted the proposal of the Redistribution Committee without change, the proposal of the Augmented Commission was not significantly different from the Redistribution Committee's proposal. Consequently, there were no further opportunities for public objections. The Augmented Commission formally completed the redistribution process by publication of a notifiable instrument of determination under section 35 of the Electoral Act and publication of a report concerning the redistribution.
On Monday 18 May 2015, the Augmented Commission published a detailed statement of reasons for its decision to accept the proposed boundaries unchanged, including an examination of each of the objections to the proposed boundaries.
- Statement of reasons by the Augmented Electoral Commission (PDF 3.2 MB)
- Final map of ACT electorate boundaries (PDF 1.4 MB)
Step 7 - The second proposed redistribution
After it considered all the initial objections lodged, the Augmented Electoral Commission accepted the proposal of the Redistribution Committee without change. Consequently, no further opportunities for public objections were made available. The Augmented Commission formally completed the redistribution process by publishing of a notifiable instrument of determination under section 35 of the Electoral Act and will table a report in the Assembly concerning the redistribution.
Step 8 - Further objections
After it considered all the initial objections lodged, the Augmented Electoral Commission accepted the proposal of the Redistribution Committee without change. Consequently, there were no further opportunities for public objections.
Step 9 - Final determination
The Augmented Electoral Commission's final determination was notified on the ACT Legislation Register.
The final step in the process was formally tabling the redistribution report in the ACT Legislative Assembly. The final report was tabled on 4 August 2015.