The Federal electorate of Higgins is set to be axed in a redistribution proposed by the Australian Electoral Commission.
Changes in population across the nation required Victorian to give up a seat and Western Australia to gain a seat. In Victoria, one of 39 seats needed to go. Higgins was chosen and the voters will be redistributed to adjoining seats including Macnamara.
The AEC will receive feedback until 28 June and make a final determination (probably by 17 October) ready to take effect from the next election.
Macnamara gets Windsor but loses South Yarra
About 5,000 voters from Windsor will be transferred to Macnamara. The proposed electoral boundary will be moved north to follow High Street instead of Dandenong Road and east to Williams Road instead of Punt Road.
But Macnamara will loose 4,424 projected electors in the localities of Melbourne and South Yarra to the proposed Division of Melbourne (which also gets the South Yarra chunk of Higgins).
The overall change is a net gain of only 827 projected electors for Macnamara.
Knife edge continues
In 2022, the major parties each earned about 30% of primary vote, with preferences ultimately giving ALP’s Josh Burns a comfortable two party preferred vote of 60%.
If this redistribution is approved, the seat will remain on a knife edge, with both Labor and Greens optimistic. Liberals could benefit from cost of living and uncertainty in the Jewish vote.
