How State Electoral Boundaries are determined
Electoral distribution - or Division of the State
What is an electoral distribution?
What is the legislative basis for an electoral distribution?
When were the 1994 electoral boundaries determined?
Who conducts the electoral distribution?
What are the key parameters governing the Division of the State?
What were the resulting quotients?
What criteria are used to draw boundaries?
How can I obtain more information about the 1994 Division of the State?
What is an electoral distribution?
An electoral distribution or Division of the State, is the redrawing of the boundaries of electoral districts and/or the creation of new districts in order to accommodate changes in population density and distribution.
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What is the legislative basis for an electoral distribution?
Section 2A(2) of the Electoral Distribution Act 1947 provides that if the same Division of the State has applied in respect of two successive general elections for the Legislative Assembly, the State shall be divided into regions and districts as soon as practicable after the day that is one year after the polling day for the second of those general elections.
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When were the 1994 electoral boundaries determined?
The formal process of determining the 1994 electoral boundaries commenced on 3 June 1994 with the placement of advertisements calling for submissions from interested parties. The steps followed were then undertaken in accordance with the legislation.
Details of the Division of the State into electoral regions and districts were set out in Government Gazette No. 168 of 28 November 1994. The electoral boundaries specified took effect from the State General Election on 14 December 1996.
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Who conducts the electoral distribution?
The 1994 Division of the State was conducted under the provisions of the Electoral Distribution Act 1947 by the following three Electoral Distribution Commissioners:
- Chairman - the Chief Justice (Hon. Mr Justice David Malcolm AC),
- Electoral Commissioner (Mr Les Smith), and
- Government Statistician, a position held by the Deputy Commonwealth Statistician (Mr Peter Kelly).
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What are the key parameters governing the Division of the State?
The basis for the Division of the State is set out in section 6 of the Electoral Distribution Act 1947 which reads as follows:
"6 (1) The Commissioners shall -
- divide the Metropolitan Area into 34 districts; and
- divide the area comprising the remainder of the State into 23 districts.
(2) The Commissioners shall make the division of an area mentioned in subsection (1)(a) or (b) into districts in accordance with the principle that the number of enrolled electors comprised in any district in the area must not be more than 15% greater, or more than 15% less, than the quotient obtained by dividing the total number of enrolled electors in the area by the number of districts into which the area is to be divided."
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What were the resulting quotients?
On 7 February 1994, the following statistics applied:
Total State Enrolment: 1,034,006
Metropolitan Area Enrolment: 760,595
Country Enrolment: 273,411
Metropolitan Area Quotient 760,595 divided by 34 = 22,370
Country Area Quotient 273,411 divided by 23 = 11,887
Permitted Variation + or - 15%
| |
-15% |
+15% |
| Metropolitan Area Districts |
19,015 |
25,726 |
| Country Area Districts |
10,104 |
13,671 |
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What criteria are used to draw boundaries?
In making the Division of the State, the Electoral Distribution Commissioners are required by section 7 of the Act to give due consideration to the following matters:
- community of interest;
- means of communication and distance from the capital;
- physical features;
- existing boundaries of regions and districts;
- existing local government boundaries;
- the trend of demographic changes;
- and where the State is divided for the first time -
- boundaries of the electoral provinces and electoral districts into which the State was divided prior to the division.
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How can I obtain more information about the 1994 Division of the State?
The Western Australian Government Gazette of Monday, 28 November 1994, No. 168 provides all details relating to the 1994 Division of the State. Included are details of the electoral distribution process, maps of new electoral boundaries, timetable used, quotients, technical descriptions and reference materials.
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