ACT Labor and the Canberra Liberals have suggested almost identical changes to the territory's electoral boundaries ahead of the 2020 election, but with differing views about which electorate should hold crucial south side suburbs.
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Under both the proposals, the suburbs of Evatt and McKellar would move from Yerrabi to Ginninderra, meaning voters in those suburbs would be voting for the same representatives as other Belconnen suburbs.
Yerrabi, which includes Gungahlin and some parts of Belconnen, has recorded the steepest increase in new voters since the 2016 election, making it more likely some voters will be redistributed to another electorate.
The main difference between the two parties' submissions is the suburbs to be included in Murrumbidgee, the electorate that currently includes the Woden town centre, Weston Creek and Molonglo Valley.
Under the Canberra Liberals' suggestion, Deakin would be moved out of inner-city Kurrajong and into Murrumbidgee.
This move would give the party a better chance of electing three MLAs in the electorate that recorded the highest Liberal vote in 2016, when 2.6 quotas were achieved on first preferences.
The Deakin polling booth recorded a 57 per cent first preference vote for the Liberals last election, the best result for any booth in the territory for the party.
Elections ACT gave interested organisations and individuals the ability to use an online mapping tool to show their proposed redistribution, demonstrating how many voters currently are in each proposed electorate and how many are projected to live there in the future.
Using the tool, Labor suggested moving Red Hill into Murrumbidgee, but acknowledged that the submission only did so for the purpose of correcting an imbalance of voters between the electorates, and they did not actually believe the suburb should change electorate.
"It is our view that the commission should consider whether it is practicable to redistribute a single
suburb from the electorate that incorporates its natural community of interest – Kurrajong – into an
electorate with which it has very little relationship – Murrumbidgee," ACT Labor secretary Matt Byrne wrote.
Both major parties have also suggested that Kambah be split between the Brindabella and Murrumbidgee electorates, to move more voters into the southern-most seat to make up for slower population growth.
Canberra Liberals president John Cziesla said splitting the suburb is "not ideal" but "there are few practical alternatives".
Mr Cziesla said projected population changes meant it was likely that all of Kambah would be included in the Brindabella electorate in future redistributions.
"The changes proposed by the Canberra Liberals to the existing electorate boundaries represent a
minimalist approach that places the community of interest in each electorate at the forefront," he said in the submission.
Elections ACT is accepting comments relating to the proposed boundaries until March 18.
