ELECTORAL ACT 1907 - SECT 16F
ELECTORAL ACT 1907 - SECT 16F
16F . Commissioners, functions of
(1) The Commissioners
shall divide the State into districts in accordance with this Part whenever a
division of the State is required under this Part.
(2) For the purposes
of carrying out their duty under subsection (1) the Commissioners shall
—
(a) by
notice published in the Gazette and in a newspaper circulating throughout the
State —
(i)
invite written suggestions relating to the division of
the State as required by subsection (1) to be lodged with the Commissioners
within 30 days from the day of the publication of the notice in the Gazette ;
and
(ii)
invite written comments being comments on the suggestions
lodged under subparagraph (i) to be lodged with the Commissioners within 14
days from the expiration of the period of 30 days referred to in that
subparagraph;
and
(b)
forthwith after the expiration of the period of 30 days referred to in
paragraph (a)(i), cause copies of the suggestions lodged with the
Commissioners under paragraph (a)(i) to be made available for perusal at the
office of the Electoral Commissioner; and
(c)
consider all of the suggestions and comments lodged with the Commissioners
under paragraph (a); and
(d) as
soon as practicable after the expiration of the period of 14 days referred to
in paragraph (a)(ii), formulate proposals for the division of the State in the
manner required under subsection (1) and the names proposed to be assigned to
the districts and publish in the Gazette and in a newspaper circulating
throughout the State —
(i)
a map or maps setting out those proposals; and
(ii)
a statement of the Commissioners’ reasons for
making those proposals;
and
(e)
consider any objections in writing that may be lodged with the Commissioners
within 30 days from the day of the publication of the map or maps and
statement in the Gazette under paragraph (d); and
(f) as
soon as practicable after the expiration of the period of 30 days referred to
in paragraph (e), by notice published in the Gazette , divide the State in the
manner required under subsection (1).
(3) Any additional
details and explanatory information that the Commissioners think appropriate
may be included on or published with the map or maps mentioned in subsection
(2)(d).
(4) The notice
mentioned in subsection (2)(f) shall set out —
(a) the
average district enrolment at the relevant day; and
(b) in
respect of each of the districts —
(i)
the name assigned to the district; and
(ii)
a description of the boundaries fixed for the district;
and
(iii)
the number of electors within the boundaries as so fixed,
[(c) deleted]
and shall include a
map or maps showing the boundaries of the districts.
(5A) For the purposes
of subsection (4)(b)(ii), the boundaries may be described —
(a) by
setting out in the notice a description of the boundaries by reference to any
of the following —
(i)
local government or other administrative boundaries;
(ii)
cadastral, topographical or other spatial information;
(iii)
such other matters as the Commissioners think
appropriate;
or
(b) by
referring in the notice to a version of a map or maps showing those boundaries
that has been lodged with the Land Information Authority under
section 16MA(1).
(5) Suggestions under
subsection (2)(a)(i), comments under subsection (2)(a)(ii) and objections
under subsection (2)(e) may be made by any person.
(6) In performing
functions under this section, the Commissioners must ensure that the period
beginning on the day on which the notice under subsection (2)(a) is published
and ending on the day on which the notice under subsection (2)(f) is published
does not exceed 8 months.
(7) The Commissioners
may at any time publish in any manner the Commissioners think appropriate a
consultation paper formulated by the Commissioners about any division of the
State required under this Part.
[Section 16F inserted: No. 1 of 2005 s. 4;
amended: No. 2 of 2005 s. 4(3); No. 14 of 2014 s. 6; No. 20 of 2021 s. 18 and
93.]