More than a quarter of Tasmanians will vote in new electorates under a long-awaited boundary redistribution announced by the Australian Electoral Commission.
The Glenorchy City Council area covering much of Hobart’s northern suburbs will move from the city-based electorate of Clark to the rural electorate of Lyons, as part of a final decision that is largely in keeping with a draft determination from February.
But the final decision includes some minor changes from what was put forward earlier in the year.
The Break O’Day council area will move from Lyons into the northern electorate of Bass, while Lyons will keep the suburbs of Blackstone Heights and Prospect Vale — areas it was previously set to lose 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.
Tongerlongeter currently receives no physical recognition in Tasmania. (Watercolour by Thomas Bock, 1832 — British Museum collection)
Public consultation will occur before the name change is confirmed, given it was not part of February’s draft changes.
If adopted, it will be the first time a Tasmanian electorate has been named after an Aboriginal person.
Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope said the changes, which will result in 114,000 people shifting electorates, are “the most significant” in recent memory, and align communities of interest in southern Tasmania as much as possible.
Draft electoral boundaries proposed in February for Clark, Franklin and Lyons. (Supplied: AEC)
Mr Pope said it also fixes an issue where Franklin had sprawled on both sides of Hobart’s River Derwent — divided by the inner city electorate of Clark.
He acknowledged the decision to move Glenorchy into Lyons had prompted widespread community concern, but said it would go ahead.
“The biggest deciding factor is the overarching requirement to ensure electorates remained numerically balanced,”
he said.
“Clark couldn’t numerically accommodate the changes required to align communities of interest in the rest of Kingborough and the Huon Valley, as well as the City of Glenorchy.”
Jeff Pope says the electoral changes are the most significant in recent history. (ABC News: Isabella Tolhurst)
Under the changes, several high-profile politicians will no longer live in the electorates they represent, meaning parties may need to consider adjustments ahead of the next federal and state elections.
Federal Assistant Health Minister Rebecca White will live in Franklin — held by Labor colleague and Agriculture Minister Julie Collins — rather than Lyons.
At the state level, Treasurer Eric Abetz, Shadow Treasurer Dean Winter and Greens Leader Rosalie Woodruff will all live in Clark, rather than Franklin, while Opposition Leader Josh Willie and Independent MP Kristie Johnston will both live in Lyons, rather than Clark.
Here’s what the changes mean for your electorate.
Jump to your electorate
Bass
Break O’Day will move into the Bass electorate. (ABC News)
Federal MP: Jess Teesdale (Labor)
State MPs:
- Liberals: Bridget Archer, Michael Ferguson, Rob Fairs
- Labor: Janie Findlay, Jess Greene
- Greens: Cecily Rosol
- Independent: George Razay
The Break O’Day local government area will shift into Bass from Lyons, something that was ruled out in February’s draft report.
A proposal to move Blackstone Heights and Prospect Vale into the electorate has been abandoned.
Braddon
The electorate of Braddon, encompassing the regional centres of Devonport and Burnie, will not change at all. (ABC News: Morgan Timms)
Federal MP: Anne Urquhart (Labor)
State MPs:
- Liberals: Jeremy Rockliff, Gavin Pearce, Felix Ellis, Roger Jaensch
- Labor: Anita Dow, Shane Broad
- Independent: Craig Garland
The AEC has confirmed the north-west electorate of Braddon will not change at all.
Clark
Huonville, plus the rest of the Huon Valley, will become part of the Clark electorate. (ABC News: Daniel Miller)
Federal MP: Andrew Wilkie (independent)
State MPs:
- Liberals: Madeleine Ogilvie, Marcus Vermey
- Labor: Josh Willie, Ella Haddad
- Greens: Vica Bayley
- Independents: Kristie Johnston, Helen Burnet
There are big changes in Clark, all in line with the draft report in February.
The electorate will shift southward to include the rest of the Kingborough municipality, plus the Huon Valley. That will result in 39,430 electors shifting from Franklin to Clark.
But 33,369 voters will shift into Lyons, when the Glenorchy municipality is moved into the rural electorate. The AEC decided it was “not numerically feasible” to keep the area — where both Mr Willie and Ms Johnston live — in Clark, and it wanted to keep the local government area inside the same electorate.
Franklin
New Norfolk will move into Franklin. (ABC News: Luke Bowden)
Federal MP: Julie Collins (Labor)
State MPs:
- Liberals: Eric Abetz, Jacquie Petrusma
- Labor: Dean Winter, Meg Brown
- Greens: Rosalie Woodruff
- Independents: Peter George, David O’Byrne
The name of the electorate is proposed to shift from Franklin to Tongerlongeter, in honour of the former Aboriginal leader and warrior, who currently receives no physical recognition in Tasmania.
In terms of the voter changes, almost 40,000 voters in parts of Kingborough — including Kingston, Kingston Beach, Huntingfield, Margate — plus the Huon Valley, will shift out of Franklin and into Clark.
Almost 35,000 will move into Franklin from Lyons instead, from places on the northern side of the River Derwent, like Bridgewater, Old Beach, Brighton and New Norfolk. Large chunks of the south-east coast including Sorell, Richmond, Dodges Ferry, Triabunna and Bicheno will also move from Lyons to Franklin.
Lyons
Glenorchy will move to the electorate of Lyons. (Glenorchy City Council)
Federal MP: Rebecca White (Labor)
State MPs:
- Liberals: Guy Barnett, Jane Howlett, Mark Shelton
- Labor: Jen Butler, Brian Mittchell
- Greens: Tabatha Badger
- Shooters, Fishers and Farmers: Carlo Di Falco
Lyons loses almost 35,000 voters from the south-east coast to Franklin, ranging from Bridgewater, Old Beach and New Norfolk, through to Sorell, Richmond, Dodges Ferry, Triabunna and Bicheno.
The biggest change, and perhaps the most contentious one, is that the rural electorate will pick up 33,369 voters from the local government area of Glenorchy, with voters in places like Austins Ferry, Glenorchy, Moonah, New Town, Lenah Valley and Chigwell all to shift into Lyons.
Lyons will keep the suburbs of Blackstone Heights and Prospect Vale, which were set to move into Bass under draft changes proposed in February.
