Redrawn electorates see Corio, Wannon grow, Corangamite shrink

THE Corangamite electorate has shrunk again in size while the seats of Corio and Wannon have expanded slightly, ahead of the next Australian federal election.

The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) finalised the state’s federal electoral boundaries late last year, as part of a boundary shakeup that saw the seat of Higgins, located in Melbourne’s east, abolished and the boundaries of 11 electorates shift.

The change was motivated by slower population growth in Victoria, in comparison to other states, resulting in 29 of Victoria’s 39 electorates sitting outside the permissible voter number requirements.

“All written objections and comments, as well as the information presented at the inquiry, have been carefully considered in deciding the final names and boundaries,” Electoral Commission chair Susan Kenny said.

 

The electorate of Corangamite, which has been held by Labor MP Libby Coker since 2019, will retain the township of Bellbrae, after the AEC initially proposed placing part of the locality within the seat of Wannon, splitting it between two divisions.

However, Corangamite will lose about 5,500 voters near Bannockburn to Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles’ seat of Corio and 3,800 to the south around Winchelsea to the Liberal Party-held seat of Wannon.

Darcy Dunstan was announced as the Liberal Party’s candidate for Corangamite in April, while Ms Coker will be seeking a third term in this year’s federal election.

 

The redistribution will see Corio gain almost 6,500 voters in total, with a further 300 transferred across from the seat of Ballarat as well as 650 voters from the seat of Lalor, near Werribee.

Long considered a safe Labor seat, Mr Marles has held Corio since 2007, increasing his margin by 2.5 per cent to 12.8 per cent at the last election.

As yet, no other candidates have announced their intention to contest the seat.

 

Meanwhile, the seat of Wannon has been held by MP Dan Tehan since 2010. Its only gain in the redistribution is the 3,800 additional voters transferred from Corangamite.

Once a Liberal stronghold, Wannon is now considered marginal thanks to independent candidate Alex Dyson, who in 2022 secured 19.3 per cent of the primary vote and enough preferences to cut Mr Tehan’s margin to just 3.9 per cent.

Mr Dyson will take a third tilt at the seat this year.

A date for the 2025 federal election has not yet been set, but the nation is expected to head to polls for a typical election for the full House of Representatives and half of the Senate at some point between now and no later than May 17.