The AEC doesn’t expect the number of federal seats in the ACT, Tasmania, or South Australia to change. Photo: AEC.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has commenced the process of redistribution of federal electoral boundaries in the ACT, Tasmania, and South Australia.
The AEC says all three redistributions are due according to the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Electoral Act), as it has been seven years since their last redistributions. All three locations will retain their current number of electorates.
The redistribution process is a multi-step one expected to take until 23 July 2026 – one year and one day after the commencement of the first parliamentary sitting after a federal election.
The first step will be for the electorate to submit ideas about the names and boundaries of any of the electorates, with information on how to do so being available through the AEC.
It says the current federal electoral divisions may change, as they are required to fall within two numerical ranges.
These are: the number of electors enrolled in each division on the determination date must be between minus 10 per cent and plus 10 per cent of the redistribution quota, and the projected number of electors enrolled in each division at the projection time would be between minus 3.5 per cent and plus 3.5 per cent of the projected enrolment quota.
The AEC says that, as the population grows and changes, the electoral divisions and names are regularly reviewed to ensure equal representation as near as possible, and that people and organisations are invited to suggest boundaries and names. The public has the opportunity to comment on these suggestions.
It says all input is considered, but decisions are made independently and with reference to the criteria by an independent committee, which develops the proposed redistribution of the state or territory, including boundaries and names.
It says multiple rounds of independent panels, public input hearings, reports and clearing legislative criteria all work to prevent gerrymandering and ensure there is integrity and transparency in the process.
Australian Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope said he aims to make the redistributions more accessible for a wider range of Australians.
“If you’re a person who has not been involved in a redistribution before, then you’re exactly who we want to hear from,” he said.
“Every Australian has a right to have their say and contribute to the decisions about the names and boundaries of the electorates they live in, and we want to make that as simple as possible.”
The AEC says Queensland was also due for a federal redistribution, but this has been deferred until the second half of 2026. This is due to projected population figures provided by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, which show that Queensland’s 30 current electorates may be subject to change before the next election.
A redistribution of the Northern Territory’s federal seat boundaries was completed in February 2025, while New South Wales, Victoria, and Western Australia were completed in October 2024.
