The Australian Electoral Commission’s Redistribution Committee has proposed major electorate boundary changes in a report released this month that would see Harden, Young and Cootamundra move into the Electorate of Riverina. The changes, according to the report, involve an “eastern push to centres of greater population”, with Angus Taylor’s Electorate of Hume taking in parts of Penrith, Camden and Liverpool Local Government Areas (LGA). As a result, he loses Yass Valley and Palerang LGAs to Eden-Monaro, and Weddin, Young, Cootamundra, Harden and Cowra to the Electorate of Riverina, represented by Michael McCormack. Boorowa will form part of Hume’s western boundary. Redistribution, according to the Committee, is a means of preserving equal numbers in each electorate. It also acts as a means of establishing more easily defined electorate boundaries.
In the case of Riverina, the electorate will be composed of entire LGAs, which the Committee believes “provides strong and easily recognisable boundaries.” The Committee also justified moving Harden, Cootamundra, and Young into the Electorate of Riverina by declaring that there existed “a community of interest” between the three towns. Comments on the proposed changes will be received by the Australian Electoral Commission until November 13, and can be submitted online by accessing the following link: http://www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/2014/nsw/objections.htm The full report is available on the Australian Electoral Commission’s website at http://www.aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/2014/nsw/proposed-report/
