For the House of Representatives each State and Territory is divided into electoral divisions. The number of these divisions is determined by population. To ensure equal representation, the boundaries of these divisions have to be redrawn or redistributed periodically.

In deciding where the boundaries should be drawn, many factors are taken into consideration.

Timing of redistributions

A redistribution is necessary when:

• the number of parliamentary representatives to which a State or Territory is entitled has changed (see population quota);
• the number of electors in more than one third of the divisions in a State or one of the divisions in the ACT or Northern Territory deviates from the average divisional enrolment by over 10% for a period of more than two months; or
• a period of 7 years has elapsed since the previous redistribution.

The redistribution process

Redistributions aim to achieve equal representation in the divisions of any one State or Territory. A redistribution is undertaken by a committee consisting of the Electoral Commissioner, the Australian Electoral Officer for the State concerned (in the ACT, the senior Divisional Returning Officer), the State Surveyor-General and the State Auditor-General.

As soon as possible after the redistribution process commences, the Electoral Commissioner invites public suggestions on the redistribution which must be lodged within 30 days. A further period of 14 days is allowed for comments on the suggestions lodged.

The Redistribution Committee then divides the State or Territory into divisions and publishes its proposed redistribution.

A period of 28 days is allowed after publication of the proposed redistribution for written objections. A further period of 14 days is provided for comments on the objections lodged. These objections are considered by an augmented Electoral Commission consisting of the four members of the Redistribution Committee and the two part-time members of the Electoral Commission.

At the time of the redistribution the number of electors in the divisions may vary up to 10% from the 'quota' or average divisional figure but at a point 3.5 years after the expected completion of the redistribution, the figures should not vary from the average projected quota by more or less than 3.5%. Thus the most rapidly growing divisions are generally started with enrolments below the quota while those that are losing population are started above the quota.

The Parliament has no power to reject or amend the final determination of the augmented Electoral Commission.

Quotas

The term 'quota' is used in two contexts in the redistribution process.

1. Population quota

This term is used when calculating the number of House of Representatives Members a State or Territory is entitled to (ie the number of divisions).

During the thirteenth month after the first meeting of the newly elected House of Representatives, the Electoral Commissioner is required to ascertain the population of the Commonwealth (excluding the Territories) according to the latest official statistics available from the Australian Statistician. These figures are then used to determine how many Members of the House of Representatives (divisions) each State is entitled to.

A similar exercise is used to calculate the entitlements of the Territories.

The determination of Representation entitlements at 17 November 2005.

Step One

The calculation is as follows:

Total population of the six States 2 x number of Senators for the States

= Quota

The population of the six States divided by twice the number of Senators for the States.

19 752 065 72 x 2 = 144

= 137 167.1181 (as at 17 November 2005)

Step two

Total population of individual State or Territory Quota

= Number of Members

 

STATE	NUMBER OF PEOPLE
New South Wales	6 764 690
Victoria	5 012 689
Queensland	3 945 940
Western Australia	2 003 778
South Australia	1 540 223
Tasmania	484 745
The Commonwealth	19 752,065
(excluding the Territories) 1
Australian  Capital Territory 2	325 790
Northern Territory 3	206 492

 

State	Population		Quota	Entitlement	Divisions
NSW	6 764 690	÷	137 167.1181	=49.3171	=49
VIC	5 012 689	÷	137 167.1181	=36.5444	=37
QLD	3 945 940	÷	137 167.1181	=28.7674	=29
WA	2 003 778	÷	137 167.1181	=14.6083	=15
SA	1 540 223	÷	137 167.1181	=11.2288	=11
TAS	484 745	÷	137 167.1181	=3.5340	=5*
ACT	325 790	÷	137 167.1181	=2.3751	=2
NT	206 492	÷	137 167.1181	=1.5054	=2
TOTAL					150

* The Constitution (s.24) states that at least five Members shall be chosen from each of the original six States and Tasmania is guaranteed a minimum of five Members.

Note: In calculating step two, if the remainder is more than 0.5, the figure for the number of Members is rounded up. If the remainder is less than or equal to 0.5, the figure is rounded down (ie 2.5 = 2 Members, and 2.52 = 3 Members).

1. Under Section 38A of the CEA, the Territory of Norfolk Island is not taken to be a Territory for this determination, but certain Norfolk Island residents are included in the State and ACT population figures.
2. The population figures for the Australian Capital Territory includes Jervis Bay (section 4 of the CEA), and that for the Northern Territory includes Cocos (Keeling) Islands and Christmas Island (section 48(2C) of the CEA).
3. Under Section 48(2E), should the initial quota for the NT fall within a prescribed range but less than that necessary to obtain an additional quota, then a recalculation of the population of the NT is triggered under the CEA.  The initial quota was 1.4710.  The recalculation must add the population equivalent of two standard errors to the NT figures as described under Sections 47 and 48.  As a result the NT entitlement is 1.5054 which is two quotas when rounded to the nearest whole number.

2. Enrolment quotas

There are two enrolment quotas calculated during the redistribution process:

• the current quota or average divisional enrolment; and
• the projected quota or average divisional enrolment three and half years after the expected completion of the redistribution.

In each case, the quota is calculated by dividing the number of people enrolled by the number of members to which the State or Territory is entitled.

The current quota uses the number of electors on the roll when the redistribution commences and is permitted to vary by up to 10% in each division. The projected quota, on the other hand, is based on a projected enrolment figure three and a half years after the expected completion of the redistribution and may vary by no more than 3.5% in each division.

For example, the quota in NSW was calculated at the beginning of the 2005 redistribution process as follows:

Number of electors enrolled in NSW (4 308 595) Number of divisions into which NSW is to be distributed (49)

= 87 931

Therefore at the time of the redistribution the number of electors in the divisions could vary up to 10% from 87 931, ie the permissible maximum (+10%) would be 96 724 and the permissible minimum (-10%) would be 79 138.

The projected quota for NSW was calculated as follows:

Projected enrolment in NSW at 31.05.10 (4 581 939) Number of Members NSW is entitled to (49)

= 93 508

Therefore, the quota, or projected average enrolment at May 2010 (ie in three and a half years time) was 93 508 electors for each division in NSW. Enrolments should not vary from this by more or less than 3.5% (ie 103.5% = 96 780 or 96.5% = 90 236).