By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
TORQUAY and Jan Juc should both be divided between neighbouring state seats, the Labor party has told a review of electoral boundaries.
But the Liberals have recommended that both should be taken out of South Barwon and go into Polwarth.
The parties recommended the changes in submissions on South Barwon to an Electoral Boundary Review Commission.
All major political parties suggested slicing off parts of South Barwon because it had become too populous.
The independent reported in March that South Barwon, Bellarine and Lara were all larger than the average electorate size of 41,473 voters. State law allows a differentiation of up to 10 per cent.
South Barwon, the largest of the local seats, has 50,133 enrolled voters, placing it almost 21 per cent above the average.
Liberal Andrew Katos holds the seat with a margin of 3.9 per cent, which could be whittled away depending on how the boundaries are redrawn.
Labor’s submission suggested part of Torquay, Jan Juc and Bells Beach should be included in Polwarth.
South Barwon should also lose Winchelsea, Buckley, Modewarre, Paraparap, Moriac, Mount Moriac, Barrabool, Gnarwarre, Bellbrea and Freshwater Creek to Polwarth, Labor said.
Belmont should be ceded to the electorate of Geelong, held by Labor’s Ian Trezise.
But South Barwon would gain Highton from Geelong, giving it a new total of 39,130 voters, 5.6 per cent under the quota.
The Liberal party submission suggested moving all of Torquay and Jan Juc into Polwarth, making South Barwon more urbanised.
The submission said South Barwon’s boundaries should be “substantially altered”, consolidating it within City of Greater Geelong.
The Liberals said including the growth area of Armstrong Creek in South Barwon would reduce the seat’s voters to 38,137.
The Greens said South Barwon should be entirely contained within City of Greater Geelong boundaries south of the Barwon River, including Highton, Grovedale, Belmont and a section of Barwon Heads, with 41,558 voters.
Proposals also suggested shrinking John Eren’s seat of Lara, losing its part of Werribee but gaining some northern Geelong suburbs.
The Greens also suggested adding St Albans and Whittington to Geelong from Bellarine.
The commission will release its proposed boundaries this month and finalise them later this year.
