The 2010 Proposed Redistribution of Victoria into Electoral Divisions report recommends a new electorate be created, taking in sections of the Bendigo, McEwan and Calwell divisions.

The electorate would be named after explorer Robert O’Hara Burke.

In the proposed redrawing of federal electorates, Victoria would lose liberal-held Murray, which borders Bendigo to the south, but gain the new Burke division.

The recommendations do not apply for the August 21 federal election, but would come into effect for the 2014 election.

The report looks at the boundaries for the state’s 37 federal electorates and the number of people in each.

Almost 17 per cent of voters would change their federal electorate under the AEC’s recommendations.

The AEC aims to have between 84,636 and 103,444 voters in each electorate.

Voter numbers must also fit within the projected enrolment figure of 97,740 to 104,730.

Although the projected enrolment in Bendigo is within the figure allowed, the seat is bordered by six electorates in vastly different circumstances.

According to the report McEwen is projected to be Victoria’s third-largest electorate by June 17, 2014, with about 18,000 more people than allowed.

Mallee, which borders Bendigo to the west and includes most of north-west Victoria, is projected to be the fourth smallest seat in Victoria with about 5000 voters short of what is required.

The electorates of Indi, Murray and Wannon, which also border Bendigo, are all at least 4000 voters short of the projected enrolment target.

The Ballarat electorate is the only bordering division within the target range.

Electoral commissioner and redistribution committee chairman Ed Killesteyn said the redistribution of boundaries must occur at least every seven years to ensure there was a similar number of voters in each electorate.

He said only nine of the state’s 37 federal electorates fell within the acceptable numerical range.