Electoral regions of Western Australia

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The current six regions of the Western Australian Legislative Council

The Western Australian Legislative Council is elected from six multi-member electoral regions, which are in turn composed of electoral districts which are used to elect the Legislative Assembly. The current number of electoral regions was established on 22 May 1989.[1] Initially, the South West and Northern Metropolitan regions returned seven members to the Legislative Council, while the other regions each returned five members.[1] This arrangement was changed to have each region return six members[2] for the 2008 Western Australian election, increasing the total number of members from 34 to 36. Before 1989 electoral divisions for the Legislative Council were known as electoral provinces.

The boundaries of electoral regions that applied to the 2017 State election were finalised in November 2015 by the Western Australian Electoral Commission.[3][4]

In September 2021, the McGowan Labor Government introduced legislation to abolish the electoral regions and replace them with a system whereby the whole state functions as one electorate that elects all 36 members.[5] The legislation is currently pending in the parliament.

Current electoral regions[]

The current electoral regions structure was created in 1989. Initially, the South West and Northern Metropolitan regions returned seven members to the Legislative Council, while the other regions each returned five members.[1] This arrangement was changed to have each region return six members[2] for the 2008 Western Australian election. A redistribution of boundaries of and divisions in regions took place in 2015.[3] These changes were in effect for the 2017 State election held on 11 March 2017.

Name Est. Area
(2017)[6]		 Electors
(2017)		 № Legislative
Assembly districts
(2017)[3]		 Current seat distribution (2021)
Agricultural 1989 281,264 km2 (108,597 sq mi) 101,229 4            
East Metropolitan 1989 3,697 km2 (1,427 sq mi)* 362,932 14            
Mining and Pastoral 1989 2,200,083 km2 (849,457 sq mi) 96,894 4            
North Metropolitan 1989 929 km2 (359 sq mi)* 362,608 14            
South Metropolitan 1989 754 km2 (291 sq mi)* 377,634 15            
South West 1989 44,870 km2 (17,320 sq mi) 205,270 8            
Total 1,506,567 59

Note: The metropolitan regions (marked *) use the 2013 area information.

The structure of the regions prior to the 2015 redistribution was as follows:

Name Est. Area
(2013)		 № Legislative
Assembly districts
(2013)		 Distribution of seats
(2013)
Agricultural 1989 200,091 km2 (77,256 sq mi) 4            
East Metropolitan 1989 3,697 km2 (1,427 sq mi) 14            
Mining and Pastoral 1989 2,280,730 km2 (880,590 sq mi) 5            
North Metropolitan 1989 929 km2 (359 sq mi) 14            
South Metropolitan 1989 754 km2 (291 sq mi) 14            
South West 1989 41,008 km2 (15,833 sq mi) 8            
Total 59

Legend:

  Labor   Liberal   National   Greens   Shooters and Fishers

Former electoral provinces[]

Before 1989 electoral divisions for the Legislative Council were known as electoral provinces. The Constitution Acts Amendment Act (No.2) 1963, effective from the 1965 state election, abolished the ten existing three-member provinces, replacing them with 15 two-member provinces. One new province was added at the 1977 state election. Some of the new provinces bore the same names as the previous provinces.

Metropolitan[]

Name Est. Abolished № of members Notes
East Metropolitan 1977 1983 2
Metropolitan 1894 1989 3 (1894–1965)
2 (1965–89)
Suburban
known as Metropolitan-Suburban Province from 1900–50.		 1900 1965 3
North Central Metropolitan 1983 1989 2
North-East Metropolitan 1965 1989 2
North Metropolitan 1965 1989 2
South Central Metropolitan 1983 1989 2
South-East Metropolitan 1965 1989 2
South Metropolitan 1965 1989 2

Rural[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ a b c Acts Amendment (Electoral Reform) Act 1987
  2. ^ a b Electoral Amendment and Repeal Act 2005 (No.1 of 2005)
  3. ^ a b c 2015 Final Boundaries by Region and District
  4. ^ Electoral Act 1907
  5. ^ Rhiannon Shine and Jacob Kagi (15 September 2021). "Mark McGowan announces sweeping changes to WA's electoral system, abolishing regions". ABC News.
  6. ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2017-02-11. Retrieved 2017-03-20.CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link)
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