Changes proposed for federal electoral boundaries

THE federal electorate of Corangamite could have a new name honouring a prominent Aboriginal activist but would become much smaller to account for population growth.

The Australian Electoral Commission’s (AEC) Redistribution Committee for Victoria published its report proposing names and boundaries for the state’s federal electoral divisions last month.

The redistribution is required to enable an increase from 38 to 39 divisions in Victoria, with each electorate required to have no more or less than 10 per cent of the redistribution quota of 109,021 voters.

The committee’s report suggests renaming Corangamite to Tucker in honour of Margaret (Lilardia) Elizabeth Tucker, a Yorta Yorta woman, for her significant work to create a more equal and understanding society for Aboriginal people.

The proposed seat of Tucker would also be much smaller.

Corangamite (presently held by Labor’s Libby Coker) extends as far south as Apollo Bay, to the west beyond Winchelsea and to the north as far as Meredith, but Tucker would only stretch as far as Bannockburn to the north, Wurdiboluc to the south-west and Bells Beach to the south.

This would put all the other towns in the Surf Coast Shire – including Anglesea, Aireys Inlet, Lorne and Winchelsea – into the neighbouring electorate of Wannon (presently held by Liberal MP Dan Tehan) and split the shire across two federal electorates.

The City of Greater Geelong would be unaffected, remaining split between Tucker and Corio (held by Labor’s Richard Marles), and the Borough of Queenscliffe would remain entirely within Tucker.

Conversely, the Colac Otway Shire would be located entirely within Wannon.

Almost all of the Golden Plains Shire except for Bannockburn and surrounds would switch from Tucker to Ballarat (held by Labor’s Catherine King).

The change would also force Ms Coker to move north if she successfully recontests Tucker and wants to keep living in her electorate, as she resides in Aireys Inlet.

As a founding member and treasurer of the Australian Aborigines League, Margaret Tucker campaigned in support of citizenship rights for Aboriginal people, and was among the first inductees to the Victorian Honour Roll of Women in 2001.

Speaking in Parliament last month, Ms Coker said she was proud the AEC had recommended the change.

“While I love being the member for Corangamite, I wholeheartedly believe that this is the right decision,” she said.

“Corangamite takes its name from Lake Corangamite.

“The name is from the Gulidjan word ‘koraiyn’, meaning bitter or salty. But I am neither bitter nor salty about this decision to rename the electorate.

“Simply put, the name ‘Corangamite’ needs to change.

“We have 151 electorates in this place. Only 17 are named after a woman. The number of electorates named after a First Nations person is even smaller – only seven. We have more electorates named after former prime ministers than we do women.”

Written objections to the AEC’s proposal must be lodged no later than 6pm on April 16.

To read the Redistribution Committee’s report, download maps of Tucker or make an objection, head to aec.gov.au/Electorates/Redistributions/2021/vic/proposed-redistribution.