North Sydney electorate to be abolished, Tink reacts

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12 September 2024

It’s official. The federal electorate of North Sydney is to be abolished.

The Electoral Commission has unanimously accepted the Redistribution Committee’s proposed abolition of the Division of North Sydney and to retire the name of the Division of North Sydney.

The abolition was necessitated by the relatively low population growth in Northern Sydney, which necessitated a shift in electorate boundaries to places with higher growth.

The Electoral Commission said it acknowledged that the Redistribution Committee’s identification of North Sydney as the electoral division for abolition in this redistribution was significantly affected by the numerical constraints arising from the Electoral Act. It also acknowledged that, concerning the Division of North Sydney, the Redistribution Committee also had careful regard to its obligation under the Electoral Act to consider other matters, including communities of interest, social, economic, regional or otherwise.

“The augmented Electoral Commission concluded that no better alternative to the Redistribution Committee’s proposal had been identified, whether in objections, comments on objections, in presentations at public inquiry or otherwise.” it concluded.

North Sydney MP Kylea Tink, who led a major campaign against the seat’s abolition, said the decision was “deeply disappointing.”

“Despite today’s announcement I feel like I have a lot more to give to Australian politics, but today isn’t about me. I will have more to say about my future at a later date.”

“I am also deeply grateful to everyone who took the time to write to the AEC and share their personal objections to the draft decision to abolish North Sydney, and to the thousands of people who signed the petition to Save North Sydney. Your efforts and commitment to our electorate have been extraordinary.”

Under the changes, the North Sydney LGA goes to Warringah (held by Zali Steggall the independent), Willoughby LGA to Bradfield (held by Liberal Paul Fletcher) and Lane Cove/Hunter’s Hill LGAs to Bennelong (held by Jerome Laxale of Labor).