What is the role of electoral boundaries commission?

The Electoral Boundaries Commission is an independent body that reviews and redraws the boundaries of federal electoral divisions to maintain roughly equal numbers of voters per electorate within each state. Australia's redistribution committees are part of the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) framework and operate independently of government, drawing on submissions from Australians, political parties, and other interested groups.

Each redistribution committee includes three statutory office holders: the Electoral Commissioner, the Australian Electoral Officer for the relevant state or territory, and the Surveyor-General or equivalent senior officer. The augmented Electoral Commission, which makes final decisions, also includes the Auditor-General and the Statistician. This composition ensures expertise in electoral administration, geography, and statistics, with no political appointees or government nominees on the decision-making bodies.

The process is highly structured. The redistribution begins with an announcement of the new seat entitlement for the state or territory based on the Statistician's calculation. The committee then develops a proposed boundary scheme, informed by public submissions called for at the start of the process. The proposed boundaries are released for public comment and objection. After considering objections and comments at public hearings, the augmented Electoral Commission issues final boundaries.

The committee must consider several factors when drawing boundaries: community of interest within the electorate (such as economic, social, and regional links), the means of communication and travel within the electorate, the physical features and area of the electorate, and the boundaries of existing divisions. The overall aim is roughly equal voter numbers per electorate within the state (within 10 per cent at the time of redistribution and within 3.5 per cent at the projected mid-term of the upcoming Parliament), while drawing boundaries that make geographic and community sense. State and territory redistributions for state lower-house electorates operate through equivalent state-level commissions.