THE new ACT Legislative Assemly electoral boundaries for next year’s election were announced today, with Crace and Palmerston added to the Ginninderra electorate.

ACT Electoral Commissioner Phillip Green said: “The Augmented ACT Electoral Commission has decided to alter the existing electoral boundaries by adopting the Redistribution Committee’s proposal to transfer the Gungahlin suburbs of Crace and Palmerston from the electorate of Molonglo to the electorate of Ginninderra.

“This change has been made to ensure that each of the ACT’s three electorates will be within 5 per cent of the enrolment quota at the time of the 2012 election.  The electorate of Brindabella has not been changed.”

Currently, the ALP’s most senior ministers, Chief Minister Katy Gallagher, deputy Chief Minister Andrew Barr and Simon Corbell sit in the electorate of Molonglo. Backbenchers Mary Porter and Dr Chris Bourke currently represent Ginnindera with first term minister Joy Burch in Brindabella.

Leader of the Opposition Zed Seselja recently announced he will represent the electorate of Brindabella at the next election, with Steve Doszpot moving to Molonglo. Liberal MLAs, Vicki Dunne and Alistair Coe both represent Ginnindera with Jeremy Hanson in Molonglo and Brendan Smyth for Brindabella.

ACT Greens MLAs currently represent the respective electorates: Meredith Hunter for Ginnindera; Shane Rattenbury, Molonglo; Caroline Le Couteur Molonglo; and Amanda Bresnan, Brindabella.

The Augmented Commission’s reasons for its redistribution are available from the ACT Electoral Commission’s office at North Building, Civic Square, London Circuit, Civic, and from  www.elections.act.gov.au.

[box]The final electorates are:

BRINDABELLA, a five-member electorate comprising the district of Tuggeranong (excluding the suburb of Hume), the Woden Valley suburbs of Chifley, Farrer, Pearce and Torrens and the districts of Booth, Coree, Cotter River, Paddys River, Rendezvous Creek, Tennent and Mount Clear.

GINNINDERRA, a five-member electorate comprising the districts of Belconnen and Hall (including the entire Village of Hall) and the Gungahlin suburbs of Crace, Nicholls and Palmerston (including the portion of the district of Gungahlin bounded by the suburbs of Palmerston and Crace and Barton Highway and Gungahlin Drive); and

MOLONGLO, a seven-member electorate comprising the districts of Gungahlin (excluding the suburbs of Crace, Nicholls and Palmerston and the portion of the district of Gungahlin bounded by the suburbs of Palmerston and Crace and Barton Highway and Gungahlin Drive), Canberra Central, Molonglo Valley, Weston Creek, Woden Valley (excluding the suburbs of Chifley, Farrer, Pearce and Torrens), Jerrabomberra (including the entire suburb of Hume), Kowen, Majura, and Stromlo. [/box]