COMMONWEALTH ELECTORAL ACT (No. 2) 1973

No. 38 of 1974

An Act relating to the Distribution of the States into Electoral Divisions.

BE IT ENACTED by the Queen, the Senate and the House of Representatives of Australia, as follows:—

Short title and citation.

1. (1) This Act may be cited as the Commonwealth Electoral Act (No. 2) 1973.

(2) The Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918-1966, as amended by the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1973, is in this Act referred to as the Principal Act.

(3) The Principal Act, as amended by this Act, may be cited as the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918-1973.

(4) Section 1 of the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1973 is amended by omitting sub-section (3).

Commencement

2. This Act shall come into operation on a date to be fixed by Proclamation.

3. (1) Section 19 of the Principal Act is repealed and the following section substituted:

Matters to be considered in distribution of a State.

“19. In making any proposed distribution of a State into Divisions, the Distribution Commissioners shall give due consideration, in relation to each proposed Division, to—

(a) community of interests within the Division, including economic, social and regional interests;

(b) means of communication and travel within the Division;

(c) the trend of population changes within the State;

(d) the physical features of the Division; and

(e) existing boundaries of Divisions and Subdivisions,

and subject thereto the quota of electors shall be the basis for the distribution, and the Distribution Commissioners may adopt a margin of allowance, to be used whenever necessary, but in no case shall the quota be departed from to a greater extent than one-tenth more or one-tenth

less.”.

(2) The section inserted in the Principal Act by sub-section (1) shall come into operation on the date on which this Act comes into operation.

Redistribution,

4. Section 25 of the Principal Act is amended by omitting from paragraph (b) of sub-section (2) the word “one-fifth” (wherever occurring) and substituting the word “one-tenth”.

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