A word about the Queensland State redistribution

There will be a redistribution of Queensland electorate boundaries that comes into effect at the next State election, in October 2028.  This is because population growth doesn’t divide neatly between Queensland’s 93 State electorates, and we end up with uneven numbers. For example, at the last State election the electorates of Noosa and Glass House had almost 4000 less voters each than the electorates of Kurwongbah and Pine Rivers, and the electorate of Murrumba next door had 12,000 more voters than the electorate of Gaven on the Gold Coast!  Obviously, that’s not a fair playing field.

So, the Electoral Commission of Queensland is conducting a review of the current boundaries to see how the numbers can be re-balanced.  

There was an initial consultation period from 7 July to 6 August this year. 116 submissions were accepted and are available online at 👉 www.redistribution.ecq.qld.gov.au/public-consultation/suggestions/suggestions-about-the-redistribution. Right now, the ECQ is taking feedback on these submissions – that process closes on Monday. 

After the review is concluded, the proposed new boundaries will be published (this is expected to be in early 2026) and there will be an objection period of 30 days.

No new boundaries have been proposed by the ECQ yet.

The new boundaries will be decided by an independent (of government) panel of three, known as the Queensland Redistribution Commission (QRC).  Under the law, the QRC must include:  

• a judge or former judge of a court of the Commonwealth or a State or Territory

• the chief executive of a Queensland Government department (or equivalent), and

• the Electoral Commissioner of Queensland.

You can find information about the Commissioners appointed here 👉 www.redistribution.ecq.qld.gov.au/about-the-qrc/the-commissioners

Concerns have been raised about whether the appointment of the Deputy Premier’s Director-General to the panel compromises its independence.  Labor – and even the media! – argued that John Sosso’s prior association with the Liberal Party might lead to a public perception that the redistribution could be biased, however the government pushed on with the appointment anyway.

What does it mean for us?

 I’ve been through a redistribution once before.  I was originally elected to Parliament as the State Member for Kallangur, until that seat was abolished and the seat of Kurwongbah was re-created (previously existing from 1992 to 2009).  I was elected as the State Member for Kurwongbah at the 2017 State election.  

In that redistribution:

·         I lost Dakabin and Kallangur (where I lived!),

·         I kept Kurwongbah (the suburb) and Petrie,

·         I gained the whole of Narangba (I previously only had part of it),

·         I gained all but 290 electors in Lawnton (I only had a little bit of Lawnton before), and

·         about a third of Bray Park came to the electorate of Kurwongbah, along with Joyner, Whiteside and three quarters of Burpengary.

At the time of the redistribution, I had secured funding to upgrade Dakabin Station – that was my very first election commitment – and $5 million to build the Kallangur Neighbourhood Centre. It was sad to leave behind the communities who worked with me to achieve those goals, but I worked hard getting to know my new communities and together we’ve had some awesome achievements, including:

• ​​​Boundary Road Interchange Upgrade (Bruce Highway)

• Deception Bay/New Settlement Road Interchange Upgrade (Bruce Highway)

• Petrie Roundabout upgraded to traffic lights

• Burpengary State Secondary College's Phoenix Building (STEM)

• New Lawnton State School Hall & Administration Building

• Lawnton Station Park 'n' Ride

• Burpengary Station Upgrade

• More parking for Narangba Station

• Petrie Fire Station

• New Ambulance Stations at Lawnton and Morayfield

• A land swap for the first stage of Sunshine Coast University's Petrie Campus

• And millions of dollars in grants and facility improvements for local sporting and community groups.

It’s because I love all parts of my Kurwongbah community – my schools, sporting clubs, scouts, guides, kindies, and let’s not forget Lakeside – that I hope there are no changes to my boundaries at this redistribution 🤞 🤞  This is what the Labor submission to the review panel submits.

I’ve also read the LNP submission, knowing there is a level of scepticism that the political party in government might get just what it wants.  This is what it says about Kurwongbah:

"Gains areas of Bray Park, Lawnton and Strathpine from Pine Rivers, forming a coherent rail corridor electorate. To stay balanced it transfers Burpengary and Morayfield areas north of Pitt Street to Morayfield while absorbing the Old North Road adjustments from Pine Rivers."

I note the LNP has so much respect for our area that they’re suggesting a non-existent street as the northern boundary - it’s Pitt Road in Burpengary, guys!  If the LNP gets their way, it means I would lose Burpengary State School, seven sporting clubs, my manufactured home parks, Burpengary Plaza (including Kmart 🥺), Burpengary Community Association and my newly upgraded Burpengary Train Station at the end of 2028. 😢 

There is some good news though if the LNP submission gets up and that is, this area would go to my good friend, Mark Ryan, the State Member for Morayfield.  Mark actually represented this area before the 2017 redistribution and I know locals still love him!

The other good news is I would get to represent my old high school – Pine Rivers State High, I’d have Pine Rivers Special School back in my electorate (I loved working with them before), I’d have some more train stations (I love upgrading train stations 😁), and the BIG shops across the road (It'll always be Westfield to me).  I’d also be the local MP at Kensington Village where I worked at Coles as a kid!  And if you’d asked me (or anyone I knew) back then what I’d be when I grew up, I’d never, ever have said a Member of Parliament 😂 😂 but here I am!

The one thing I know is this: whatever happens in the redistribution, I will always work hard for my community.