NYAH West and Beverford have narrowly avoided being made part of the Mildura electorate, remaining in Murray Plains after the Electoral Boundaries Commission (EBC) decided against boundary changes.
The EBC released the new boundaries report on Thursday after being tabled in State Parliament, which come into effect at the election in November 2022.
The EBC found the current boundaries of Murray Plains, held by The Nationals’ Peter Walsh, to be “satisfactory” and saw no need to change them.
The district, with 47,514 electors, extends along the Murray from Swan Hill and Nyah West to Echuca and Kyabram, taking in all or part of four local government areas.
Enrolment for the Murray Plains district was 2.28 per cent below the state average, as at November 20, 2020, and while gradually trending downwards, was expected to remain within the 10 per cent threshold by the end of the forecast period.
The neighbouring Mildura electorate, represented by Independent Ali Cupper, needed to gain electors, according to the EBC, due to its enrolment being 7.58 per cent below the average and falling.
One of two alternatives was to transfer an area north-west of Swan Hill, including Nyah West and Beverford from Murray Plains.
“The Nyah West option would round out the shape of Mildura district,” the report said.
“As an irrigation area, Nyah West has a commonality with the Sunraysia area around Mildura.
“However, Nyah West is close to Swan Hill (28 kilometres), and transferring it to Mildura district would have divided Swan Hill’s community of interest.
“This change would have also required changes to Murray Plains district and other parts of Northern Victoria Region.”
The EBC considered a Donald and Charlton option preferable on the grounds of community of interest and clear boundaries.
During submissions, Murray Plains was closely related in submission to the Bendigo districts, because most submissions suggested transferring the rural northern part of Bendigo East district to Murray Plains district.
Labor proposed uniting Loddon Shire in Murray Plains, taking territory from Bendigo East, Bendigo West and Ripon districts.
At the public heading, Labor’s Shane Easson pointed out that in 2013 the main reason the EBC refused to include Loddon Shire in Murray Plains district was that the numbers precluded it, “but that this consideration no longer applies, as Murray Plains is below average and declining”.
Murray Plains covers the northern edge of Loddon Shire, including Boort and Pyramid Hill.
Member for Murray Plains Peter Walsh said the southern towns in the Loddon Shire were a long way from the eastern side of the electorate.
“My view that the the EBC do what they do and we, as MPs, work hard to represent people allocated in seats,” he said.
“The whole Loddon Shire has neither been in the previous seat of Swan Hill or Murray Plains.
“That said, there are synergies in having the whole LGA in an electorate.
“But, as I say, lines on a map are lines on a map, and let’s get on with our job.”
