The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has announced a significant boundary redistribution that will impact over a quarter of Tasmanians. This decision, which is largely in line with a draft determination from February, will result in 114,000 people shifting electorates, marking the most substantial changes in recent memory. The changes are designed to align communities of interest in southern Tasmania as much as possible and address issues of electoral imbalance.
One of the most notable changes is the movement of the Glenorchy City Council area, covering much of Hobart's northern suburbs, from the city-based electorate of Clark to the rural electorate of Lyons. This decision has sparked widespread community concern, as it means high-profile politicians like Federal Assistant Health Minister Rebecca White and State Treasurer Eric Abetz will no longer live in the electorates they represent. The overarching requirement to ensure electorates remain numerically balanced was the biggest deciding factor, according to Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope.
The Break O'Day council area will move from Lyons into the northern electorate of Bass, while Lyons will retain the suburbs of Blackstone Heights and Prospect Vale, which were previously set to move to Bass. The decision also includes a name change, with Franklin to be renamed Tongerlongeter in honour of the Aboriginal leader and warrior who died in 1837. This will be the first time a Tasmanian electorate has been named after an Aboriginal person, and public consultation will occur before the name change is confirmed.
The changes will also impact the Braddon, Clark, and Franklin electorates, with significant shifts in voter distribution. The north-west electorate of Braddon will remain unchanged, but the Clark electorate will shift southward to include the rest of the Kingborough municipality and the Huon Valley, resulting in 39,430 electors shifting from Franklin to Clark. The Lyons electorate will lose almost 35,000 voters from the south-east coast to Franklin, while gaining 33,369 voters from the local government area of Glenorchy.
These changes have far-reaching implications for Tasmanian politics, potentially impacting the balance of power and the representation of communities. The decision highlights the complex nature of electoral boundary redistributions and the need for careful consideration of community interests and political dynamics. As the changes take effect, Tasmanians will need to adapt to a new electoral landscape, with potential consequences for the upcoming federal and state elections.
