More than one in four Tasmanian voters could end up in a different federal electorate under a proposed redistribution.
The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) is canvassing significant boundary changes affecting four of the state’s five seats.
The biggest shake-up centres on Franklin, which currently has an unusual problem.
It is split in two by the electorate of Clark and the River Derwent, making it the only federal seat in Australia made up of separate, disconnected areas.
Under the proposal, Franklin would shift to become a south-east coast electorate.
It would stretch from Hobart’s eastern shore across to the Tasman Peninsula and up the coast to Bicheno.
Clark would expand south to take in the Huon Valley and Kingborough, extending down to the south-west cape.
In return, Clark would hand Glenorchy to Lyons.
“Submissions expressed strong support for a major reconfiguration in southern Tasmania, particularly to address the non-contiguous boundaries of the electorate of Franklin,” an AEC proposal reads.
In the north, Bass would pick up the Launceston-area suburbs of Blackstone Heights and Prospect Vale from Lyons.
Braddon, covering the west and north-west, would remain unchanged.
Overall, about 113,884 voters would move electorates under the plan.
The AEC committee pushing for change has kept all existing electorate names but says it is open to suggestions for renaming Franklin, given the scale of the changes.
“The committee therefore invites further public feedback and name suggestions for consideration by the augmented electoral commission,” the proposal said.
The redistribution was triggered because more than seven years have passed since Tasmania’s last boundary review.
Tasmanians can have their say on the proposed changes until 6pm on Friday, March 27.
A final decision is due by October, with the new boundaries to take effect at the next federal election.
