The augmented Electoral Commission for Tasmania's public announcement of a revised proposal of federal electoral divisions in Tasmania was made on Thursday 20 July 2017. Read the augmented Electoral Commission's public announcement.

The augmented Electoral Commission's reasoning in support of the names and boundaries of electoral divisions will be contained in its report.

The numerical constraints of the redistribution process

The augmented Electoral Commission was required to consider all objections made to the Redistribution Committee's proposal in the context of the requirements of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (the Electoral Act). For the augmented Electoral Commission, the primary requirements contained within sub-sections 66(3) and 66(3A) are:

• the number of electors in each electoral division shall, as far as practicable, not deviate from the projected enrolment quota at the projection time of 14 May 2021 by more than plus or minus 3.5 per cent. As far as practicable, the number of electors enrolled in each electoral division in Tasmania at the projection time of 14 May 2021 must therefore be between 74,289 and 79,677, and
• the number of electors in each electoral division shall not deviate from the current enrolment quota by more than plus or minus 10 per cent. The number of electors enrolled in each electoral division in Tasmania must be between 67,513 and 82,515.

Objections that resulted in the number of electors in an electoral division or divisions being outside either of these ranges could not be considered for implementation.

Augmented Electoral Commission's proposed electoral divisions

Augmented Electoral Commission's conclusions on objections

An overview of the augmented Electoral Commission's conclusions on the majority of issues raised in objections is presented on this page. A number of objections were unable to be accepted by the augmented Electoral Commission because of the requirement that the number of electors in all electoral divisions in Tasmania meet the two numerical requirements of the Electoral Act.  The augmented Electoral Commission's conclusions on objections not presented on this page will be available in the augmented Electoral Commission's report. Not all of the objections received have been referenced in the commentary below on specific conclusions.

The name of the proposed Division of Denison

Objections referring to this matter: OB2 – Martin Gordon; OB4 – Bob Holderness-Roddam; OB6 – Margaret and Henry Reynolds; OB7 – Peter Jones; OB9 – Rodney Croome; OB11 – Australian Labor Party Tasmanian Branch

Comments on objections referring to this matter: COB2 – Bob Holderness-Roddam

Augmented Electoral Commission’s conclusions: The Redistribution Committee agreed with suggestions to the redistribution and comments on suggestions that Andrew Inglis Clark had made a significant contribution to Australian society and that naming an electoral division after him would provide an appropriate recognition of that contribution.  However, the Redistribution Committee did not consider there was sufficiently strong reasons to change the name of the electoral division and proposed retaining the name of the Division of Denison.

Objections to the proposed redistribution and comments on objections observed:

• Lieutenant-Governor Denison was a worthy public official of his era who contributed to the development of the colony of Van Diemen’s Land over the term of his appointment
• Andrew Inglis Clark was a born and bred Tasmanian who had a significant impact on Tasmania and Australia including:
  • drafting a significant number of clauses of the Constitution, including those concerned with constitutional entrenchment of the High Court and for parliamentary creation of federal courts, trial by jury and freedom of religion
  • introducing the Hare-Clark system of proportional representation based on the concept of the single transferable vote

The augmented Electoral Commission considered the arguments in favour of re-naming the electoral division presented by those making objections to the proposed redistribution, commenting on objections or making submissions to the inquiry and concluded it would be appropriate to re-name the electoral division to recognise an individual who had made such a significant contribution to Australian political and legal systems.

The augmented Electoral Commission proposes the electoral division will be known as the Division of Clark.

The electoral division in which the Municipality of Dorset is to be located

Objections referring to this matter: OB1 – Darren McSweeney; OB2 – Martin Gordon; OB3 – Jeff Waddell; OB8 – John Beattie; OB10 – Dorset Council

Comments on objections referring to this matter: COB3 – Sarah Courtney MP; COB4 – Hon Michael Ferguson MP; COB5 – Senator David Bushby; COB6 – Hon Peter Gutwein MP; COB7 – John Beattie; COB8 – Liberal Party of Australia, Tasmania Branch

Augmented Electoral Commission’s conclusions: The Redistribution Committee proposed the Municipality of Dorset be located in the proposed Division of Lyons. 

Some objections supported the Redistribution Committee’s proposal while others advocated the Municipality should continue to be located in the proposed Division of Bass due to shared communities of interest, means of communication and transport links being stronger with the proposed Division of Bass than with the proposed Division of Lyons.

The augmented Electoral Commission noted the Municipality of Dorset could be located in the proposed Division of Bass if an adjustment was made to the boundaries of the electoral division.  As these changes would better reflect communities of interest, the augmented Electoral Commission concluded the Redistribution Committee’s proposal could be improved.

The augmented Electoral Commission proposes locating the Municipality of Dorset in the proposed Division of Bass.

The electoral division in which the Municipality of Flinders is to be located

Objections referring to this matter: OB1 – Darren McSweeney; OB2 – Martin Gordon; OB3 – Jeff Waddell; OB8 – John Beattie; OB10 – Dorset Council

Comments on objections referring to this matter: COB4 – Hon Michael Ferguson MP; COB5 – Senator David Bushby; COB6 – Hon Peter Gutwein MP; COB7 – John Beattie; COB8 – Liberal Party of Australia, Tasmania Branch

Augmented Electoral Commission’s conclusions: The Redistribution Committee proposed the Municipality of Flinders be located in the proposed Division of Lyons. 

Some objections supported the Redistribution Committee’s proposal while others advocated the Municipality should continue to be located in the proposed Division of Bass due to shared communities of interest, means of communication and transport links being stronger with the Division of Bass than with the Division of Lyons.

The augmented Electoral Commission noted the Municipality of Flinders could be located in the proposed Division of Bass if an adjustment was made to the boundaries of the electoral division.  As these changes would better reflect communities of interest, the augmented Electoral Commission concluded the Redistribution Committee’s proposal could be improved.

The augmented Electoral Commission proposes locating the Municipality of Flinders in the proposed Division of Bass.

The electoral division in which the Municipality of West Tamar is to be located

Objections referring to this matter: OB1 – Darren McSweeney; OB3 – Jeff Waddell; OB5 – Alex Jago; OB8 – John Beattie

Augmented Electoral Commission’s conclusions: The Redistribution Committee proposed the Municipality of West Tamar be located in its entirety in the proposed Division of Bass. 

One objection advocated the Municipality in its entirety should be located in the Division of Lyons. Other objections to the proposed redistribution supported the Redistribution Committee’s proposal.

The augmented Electoral Commission concluded that the Redistribution Committee’s proposal was sound and should stand unchanged.

The boundaries of the Division of Bass should not be altered

Objections referring to this matter: OB11 – Australian Labor Party, Tasmanian Branch

Comments on objections referring to this matter: COB3 – Sarah Courtney MP; COB4 – Hon Michael Ferguson MP; COB5 – Senator David Bushby; COB6 – Hon Peter Gutwein MP; COB8 – Liberal Party of Australia, Tasmania Branch

Augmented Electoral Commission’s conclusions: The Redistribution Committee proposed altering the Division of Bass such that:

• the entirety of the Municipality of West Tamar is located in the proposed Division of Bass.  The Municipality of West Tamar is currently split between the Divisions of Bass and Lyons.
• the Municipality of Dorset be located in the proposed Division of Lyons
• the Municipality of Flinders be located in the proposed Division of Lyons

Objections to the proposed redistribution and comments on objections observed that, on current boundaries, the electoral division meets the numerical requirements of the Electoral Act and therefore no changes were necessary.  

While both numerical requirements are met, the augmented Electoral Commission notes the electoral division sits at the lower end of the range for projected enrolment.  The augmented Electoral Commission therefore concluded that the boundaries of the proposed Division of Bass will change as detailed in the table at the top of this page. 

The electoral divisions in which the Municipality of Meander Valley is to be located

Objections referring to this matter: OB2 – Martin Gordon; OB8 – John Beattie

Comments on objections referring to this matter: COB7 – John Beattie

Augmented Electoral Commission’s conclusions: The Redistribution Committee proposed that no changes be made to the electoral divisions in which the Municipality of Meander Valley be located and that it continue to be located in both the proposed Divisions of Bass and Lyons. 

Objections to the proposed redistribution and comments on objections noted that locating the Municipalities of Dorset and Flinders in the proposed Division of Bass would require an area to be transferred out of the proposed electoral division.  It was proposed that all or part of that portion of the Municipality of Meander Valley located in the proposed Division of Bass be transferred to the proposed Division of Lyons, which would help to unite communities of interest.   

The augmented Electoral Commission considered the arguments advanced in objections, comments on objections and to the inquiries and further noted that transferring the portion of the Municipality of Meander Valley from the proposed Division of Bass to the proposed Division of Lyons would unite the Municipality in one federal electoral division. As these changes would better reflect communities of interest, the augmented Electoral Commission concluded the Redistribution Committee’s proposal could be improved.

The augmented Electoral Commission proposes locating the Municipality of Meander Valley in its entirety in the proposed Division of Lyons.

The electoral division in which the Municipality of Latrobe is to be located

Objections referring to this matter: OB1 – Darren McSweeney; OB2 – Martin Gordon; OB3 – Jeff Waddell; OB11 – Australian Labor Party, Tasmanian Branch

Augmented Electoral Commission’s conclusions: The Redistribution Committee proposed the Municipality of Latrobe be located in its entirety in the proposed Division of Braddon. 

Objections to the proposed redistribution supported the Redistribution Committee’s proposal.

The augmented Electoral Commission concluded that the Redistribution Committee’s proposal was sound and should stand unchanged.