Shire of Waroona set to be shifted from Canning to Forrest electorate as part of Federal seat redistribution

The Shire of Waroona is set to move electorates as the State gains an extra seat in Federal Parliament. The Australian Electoral Commission’s proposed WA redistribution changes were released on Friday, which would see the local government area separated from other councils in the Peel region. Residents living in the shire are currently considered part of the Canning electorate, which covers most of the Peel region and is currently held by Liberal MHR Andrew Hastie. The changes could see the council move into the Forrest electorate, currently held by retiring Liberal MHR Nola Marino. A move of Shire of Waroona voters into Forrest was proposed in 2021 but was opposed by the council amid concerns it would be competing for Federal funding in the electorate against much bigger players including the City of Busselton and the Shire of Augusta-Margaret River. Mr Hastie said while the proposal is still to be finalised, he was looking forward to reaching out to his potential new constituents. “It has been an honour to represent the suburbs that have been removed and I want the community to be assured that I will continue to represent them until the next Federal Election,” he said. It comes as the State prepares to gain an additional seat in Federal Parliament at the next election, which has to be held by early next year. Those wishing to object to the changes have until 6pm on June 28 to do so. For more information, visit aec.gov.au.