Proposed federal electoral divisions for Western Australia released

The Redistribution Committee for Western Australia today published its report proposing names and boundaries for the state’s federal electoral divisions.

The Chair of the Committee and Electoral Commissioner, Tom Rogers, said the Western Australian redistribution was required to enable an increase from 15 to 16 federal electoral divisions.

“Under the proposal, the boundaries of all of Western Australia’s existing electoral divisions would change and the additional Division of Bullwinkel would be created,” Mr Rogers said.

“Ongoing population growth in parts of Western Australia has led the Redistribution Committee to propose a number of substantial changes to the state’s electoral division boundaries.”

YouTube: 2024 WA redistribution proposal

Proposed boundaries

The proposal would see the following key changes:

• removing high-growth areas from electoral divisions which exceed the maximum number of projected electors permitted by the Electoral Act,
• removing high-enrolment areas from fast growing outer suburban electoral divisions to allow for future population growth,
• rearranging boundaries across all 15 existing divisions to accommodate placement of a new electoral division and improving communities of interest where possible.

Mr Rogers said the Redistribution Committee had been faced with the task of inserting a new electoral division while also bringing all 16 divisions within the allowable numerical tolerance.

Vivian Bullwinkel

The proposed new Division of Bullwinkel is named in honour of Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel AO MBE ARRC ED FNM FRCNA (1915–2000).

After surviving the sinking of the SS Vyner Brooke following the evacuation of Singapore, Bullwinkel was the sole survivor of the 1942 Bangka Island massacre and a prisoner of war for three and a half years. Bullwinkel retired from the Army in 1947 and became Director of Nursing at Melbourne’s Fairfield Hospital, devoting much of her life to:

• moving Australian nursing education from hospitals to universities,
• working for the recognition of military personnel, especially nurses, and the victims of war crimes,
• honouring those killed on Bangka Island, returning to the Island in 1992 to unveil a shrine to the nurses who had not survived the war, and
• highlighting the treatment of prisoners of war by Japanese soldiers during World War II.

Naming an electoral division after Vivian Bullwinkel recognises her dedication to honouring victims of war crimes and her service to nursing and the community, in both her civilian and military service. This electoral division name also honours the contribution of military medical personnel and recognises those who were prisoners of war.

Further public input

The consultative nature of the redistribution process continues, with individuals and organisations now able to submit feedback to the Redistribution Committee’s proposed divisions.

Written objections can agree or disagree with any aspect of the proposal. They must be lodged no later than 6pm AWST on Friday 28 June 2024. The best way to submit feedback is online but it can also be submitted via:

• Email – FedRedistribution-WA@aec.gov.au
• Post – Australian Electoral Commission (Att: WA Redistribution Secretariat), Locked Bag 4007, Canberra ACT 2601
• Fax - 02 6125 9971
• In person – Level 1, 15-17 William Street, Perth.

All input received by the deadline will be available for public inspection on the redistributions website and at Level 1, 15-17 William Street, Perth (business hours only) from Monday 1 July 2024. Further comments will then be accepted until 6pm AWST on Friday 12 July 2024.

Editor’s notes:

• For further details, including the factors considered by the Redistribution Committee for WA, see the full redistribution proposal report and maps of proposed electoral divisions.
• The proposed Victorian federal redistribution is also being released today. Information is also available about the Northern Territory redistribution and the New South Wales redistribution
• Further information about the redistribution process and guidance on making submissions is also available.
• Members of the House of Representatives elected at the 2022 federal election, and in federal by-elections since that time, will continue to represent their respective electoral divisions until the next federal election.