The Australian Electoral Commission has proposed the Victorian federal seat of Higgins should be abolished, and Western Australia will get a new seat called Bullwinkel.

The changes would come about at the next election and are due to changing population numbers in each of the states.

The Chair of the Committee and Electoral Commissioner, Tom Rogers, said the Western Australian redistribution was required to enable an increase from 15 to 16 federal electoral divisions.

Under the proposal, the boundaries of all of Western Australia’s existing electoral divisions would change and the additional Division of Bullwinkel would be created,” Mr Rogers said.

“Ongoing population growth in parts of Western Australia has led the Redistribution Committee to propose a number of substantial changes to the state’s electoral division boundaries.”

The proposed change would see one in seven Western Australian voters finding themselves living in a new electorate at the next election.

The new seat in the Perth hills would take in the Shire of Beverley, Shire of Northam, Shire of Toodyay and Shire of York, along with parts of the City of Armadale, City of Gosnells, City of Kalamunda, Shire of Mundaring and City of Swan.

It would see a substantial reduction is the current seat of Hasluck which is currently held by Labor’s Tania Lawrence.

Where does the name Bulwinkel come from?

The proposed new seat will be named after Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel AO MBE ARRC ED FNM FRCNA (1915–2000).

During World War II after surviving the sinking of the SS Vyner Brooke following the evacuation of Singapore, Bullwinkel was the sole survivor of the 1942 Bangka Island massacre and a prisoner of war for three and a half years.

She retired from the Army in 1947 and became Director of Nursing at Melbourne’s Fairfield Hospital, devoting much of her life to moving nursing education from hospitals to universities, and working for the recognition of military personnel, especially nurses, and the victims of war crimes.

Victoria to lose the seat of Higgins

While Western Australia will gain an additional seat and member of parliament, it’s been proposed that Victoria will have one less.

Currently in Victoria there are 39 electoral divisions, but at the next election there would be one less under the proposal, which is bad news for Labor MP Michelle Ananda-Rajah who currently holds the seat of Higgins.

The Liberal stronghold has been the seat of former Prime Ministers Harold Holt and John Gorton, as well as former Treasurer Peter Costello. More recently the seat has been held by Kelly O’Dwyer who was a Minister in the Turnbull and Morrison governments, and Katie Allen.

Feedback on the electoral changes in open until 6pm AWST on Friday 28th June 2024.