CHANGES to the federal electoral boundaries take effect today, with several northern suburbs shifting to different seats.
The changes aim to redistribute electorate numbers to maintain a balance of between 96,197 and 103,175 voters within each seat boundary.
The Pearce electorate will lose about a third of its existing electors – almost 36,000 people – as a result of the changes, but gain 19,437 from neighbouring seats.
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READ NOWIt means the electorate, which had almost 108,000 electors in December 2014, will cover about 99,000 people in February 2017 rather than 115,600.
Moore MHR Ian Goodenough said the effect of the January 19 change was “relatively minimal” on his electorate, with the main shift to transfer Mindarie, Clarkson, Carramar and Banksia Grove to Pearce.
That will result in a loss of about 17,400 electors, but Moore will gain 15,800 with the shift of Kingsley and Woodvale from Cowan.
“The electoral distribution is carried out to ensure that the principle of one-vote-one-value is maintained in the House of Representatives,” he said.
“That is, all electorates have equal numbers of electors.
“Uneven population growth means that faster developing areas gain more electors than other electorates, hence the need to redistribute. It is a little sentimental to lose Mindarie and Clarkson, which I have represented on (the Wanneroo) council and in parliament since 1999.
“However I am sure that Christian Porter will represent the area admirably.
“Over the past 20 years the common boundary between Pearce and Moore has shifted multiple times, once extending up to Two Rocks.”
Mr Goodenough said WA would get one extra electorate – the seat of Burt – at the expense of New South Wales due to relative population growth.
The Cowan electorate is losing almost 18,000 electors to Moore and Pearce, but gaining almost 13,000 from Pearce and Perth.
Under the changes, it is expected to have about 100,400 electors in 2017, while Moore will have almost 103,000.
For more information, visit www.aec.gov.au .