Significant changes are being proposed to the boundaries of the
state electorates of Newcastle and Wallsend.
The suggestions have been presented as part of a redistribution
of state electoral boundaries across NSW.
The new state electoral boundaries will take effect at the
next state election in 2015 - they have no impact on federal or council
elections.
The Electoral Boundaries Commissioners who are undertaking
the redistribution have to operate under particular rules, including a
requirement that the number of registered voters in any electorate must not vary
from the state average by more than 10% (the previous limit was plus or minus 3%).
This average is calculated by dividing the total number of registered
voters in NSW on the set date (4 February 2013 in this case) by the number of NSW
Legislative Assembly electorates (currently 93).
The number of registered voters in NSW on 4 February was 4,800,967,
yielding a quotient of 51,623 for each state electorate.
That means that each electorate must have between 46,461 and
56,786 voters.
Four electorates in NSW are currently outside those limits. None
of these are in the Hunter, but obviously any boundary change in one electorate
has knock-on effects for others.
The redistribution process includes a call for submissions, which
closed earlier this month.
A submission from the NSW Liberal Party proposes replacing the
electorate of Wallsend (currently held by Labor) with a new electorate of
Waratah, which would include the suburbs north of the Newcastle Link Road.
The state seat of Newcastle (currently held by the Liberals)
would lose suburbs such as Wickham, Islington, Tighes Hill, Carrington and
Stockton to the new seat, and gain areas such as Rankin Park, Cardiff Heights,
New Lambton Heights, Lambton and New Lambton.
On the basis of current voting patterns, this would make Waratah
a safe Labor seat (like the Wallsend seat it would replace) while Newcastle (currently
a marginal Liberal held seat) would gain more conservative voting areas,
increasing the chances of the Liberals holding the seat at the 2015 election.
The Labor Party submission proposes transferring parts of the
Newcastle Council area that are currently in the Port Stephens electorate
(which stretches south into Mayfield), as well as some areas of the Cessnock
electorate, to the Wallsend electorate, leaving Newcastle unchanged.
The Greens have proposed relatively minor changes to both
electorates: transferring a small part of Waratah currently in Wallsend to the
Newcastle electorate, and a small part of Mayfield currently in Port Stephens
to Newcastle.
The Commissioners are now considering these suggestions and
any public comments on them, as well as advice from demographers about expected
population changes, and will then draft a proposal for changes, including their
explanation for such proposals.
These proposals will then be available for suggestions and
objections, and a Public Inquiry on them, before the Commissioners hand down
their final decision.
In determining electoral boundaries, the Commissioners are
required to consider matters such as:
·
Economic, social and regional communities of
interest;
·
Means of communication and travel;
·
Physical features and area of the electoral
district; and
·
Natural boundaries (like mountains or rivers).
For more information on the redistribution, and for copies
of the suggestions from the various political parties and other organisations
and individuals, see http://www.redistribution.nsw.
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