The Electoral Districts Boundaries Commission (the Commission) travelled to regional centres to hear from interested persons and groups in relation to district boundary changes which were under consideration.
They included substantial changes to the districts of Giles and Stuart, including an option for combining the major centres of Port Augusta and Whyalla into one district and flow-on changes that would result with the town of Port Pirie being the regional centre of an electoral district including the northern outback areas of the State with the district of Frome being affected.
The areas south of Port Pirie and west of the Mount Lofty Ranges, including Jamestown, Clare and Kapunda, could then be amalgamated to form a proposed mid-north district.
In addition, the Commission sought comment on proposals for changes to the electorates of Chaffey and Hammond, to bring river towns such as Cadell, Morgan and Blanchetown into Chaffey and to move the south-western part of Chaffey into Hammond.
It also took views on a proposal to amalgamate the townships of Victor Harbor and Goolwa into one district and the flow-on effects in terms of the surrounding electoral districts.
The two maps below were provided to illustrate, by way of shaded areas, regions where proposed boundary changes were being considered, with a number of those regions labelled with geographic descriptors. The descriptors were not intended in any way to indicate proposals for the naming of electoral districts. However, the Commission received comments on the naming of electoral districts and is considering suggestions put forward.
Map 1 - Regional areas of the State
Map 2 - Adelaide region
The Commission produced 4 maps showing more detail of the boundaries under consideration and these were tendered as Exhibit 19 (4 maps depicting electoral boundaries under consideration for Country and Inner Country Regions).
Dates and locations for hearings conducted
Port Augusta, Clare and Murray Bridge were chosen for regional hearings because some of the proposed changes affected the electors in and around those centres. A public hearing in Adelaide was made available for any persons unable to attend the hearings in the regional centres. These hearings were conducted as follows:
| Monday 27 June 2016 |
11.30am Magistrates Court 4 Flinders Terrace, Port Augusta |
| Tuesday 28 June 2016 |
11.00am Clare & Gilbert Valleys Council 4 Gleeson Street, Clare |
| Wednesday 29 June 2016 |
11.00am Magistrates Court 7 Bridge Street, Murray Bridge |
| Tuesday 5 July 2016 |
9.00am Roma Mitchell, Commonwealth Law Courts Building, 3 Angas Street, Adelaide |
Transcripts from the hearings and exhibits presented are available on the website from the following links:
Transcripts of Public Hearings
Exhibits
