The public are being urged to comment on new a NSW electoral boundaries proposal.
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The NSW Electoral Districts Redistribution Panel today gave public notice of its draft determination of the names and boundaries of all 93 of the State's electoral districts.
Under the proposal the Northern Tablelands electorate will increase in size to incorporate the Walcha Local Government Area (LGA) at the 2023 March State election.
State MP Adam Marshall said he encouraged members of the public to lodge a submission to the draft NSW electoral boundary changes and that pending the panel's final determination, he would welcome the return of Walcha to the Northern Tablelands, as was the case prior to the last boundary redistribution in 2015 when it moved into the Tamworth electorate.
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"Every eight years, the NSW Electoral Commission undertakes a redistribution process, to ensure each of the 93 NSW electorates has an approximately an equal number of eligible voters," Mr Marshall said.
"Under this draft proposal, the entire Walcha LGA would come back into the Northern Tablelands, expanding the electorate to almost 60,000 square kilometres in size and increasing the total projected voters to 58,057 by 2023.
"The Northern Tablelands is already the third-largest electorate in the State, behind Barwon and Murray, and under the draft proposal would take in seven LGAs, including Armidale Regional, Glen Innes Severn, Gwydir Shire, Moree Plains Shire, Uralla Shire and Walcha Councils.
"While we'll have to wait until sometime early next year to see the final determination, I would welcome the addition of Walcha into the Northern Tablelands - it makes sense as it once again links Walcha to communities of similar cultural and economic interest."
Submission on the draft boundaries can be made via the NSW Electoral Commission's website.