Federal Member for Bendigo Lisa Chesters is “relieved” Bendigo’s electoral boundaries have avoided major changes as part of a statewide reshuffle.
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Various electoral boundaries across Victoria have been altered to create room for an extra federal seat, which has been added in Melbourne’s west to account for population growth.
Parts of the Loddon Shire, including Tarnagulla, Arnold, Newbridge, Shelbourne and Eddington, will move into the seat of Mallee, while further south, Mount Macedon and Macedon will become part of the McEwan electorate.
The proposed changes, published on Friday by the Australian Electoral Commission, will take 4000 electors out of the seat of Bendigo.
Ms Chesters estimated the redistribution would slightly improve the margin by which she holds the seat under a two-party preferred system – from 3.7 to 3.9 per cent.
“This minor cull at the edges will ensure we've got the right number of electors going forward given Bendigo’s steady growth,” she said.
“I’m relieved they haven’t split the seat.”
Victoria will increase its number of federal electoral seats from 37 to 38 with the changes.
Maryborough was the big loser in the proposed boundary changes, given the town lobbied hard to be re-included in the Bendigo seat after a eight-year hiatus.
“I’m sympathetic to Maryborough...but the lines have to go somewhere,” Ms Chesters said.
If the changes are ratified, the federal seat of Bendigo will largely incorporate three shires – the City of Greater Bendigo, Macedon Ranges, and Mount Alexander Shire.
Ms Chesters suggested the changes indicated the federal boundaries were becoming more aligned with local government ones.
“More and more of what we do is in partnership with local government so it (alignment) makes sense,” she said.
The changes will increase the number of electors in the seats of Mallee and Wannon by transferring voters from the Ballarat, Bendigo, Corangamite and Murray electorates.
