Electoral division of Murchison
| Murchison Tasmania—Legislative Council | |
|---|---|
Map showing the electoral division of Murchison, as of the 2017 periodic review.[1] | |
| State | Tasmania |
| Created | 1999 |
| MP | Ruth Forrest |
| Party | Independent |
| Namesake | Mount Murchison |
| Electors | 27,059 (January 2019) |
| Area | 19,391 km2 (7,486.9 sq mi) |
| Demographic | Rural |
| Coordinates | 41°39′54″S 145°20′53″E / 41.665°S 145.348°E |
The electoral division of Murchison is one of the fifteen electorates in the Tasmanian Legislative Council, situated in the western/north-west region of the state. It is the largest electorate in size, covering an area of 19,391 km² and includes the municipalities of Circular Head, King Island, Waratah-Wynyard, West Coast and part of Burnie City.
Ruth Forrest has been the sitting member for Murchison since 2005, she ran unopposed in 2011, and was re-elected in 2017 and 2023. The next scheduled election is in 2029. As of January 2019, there were 27,059 enrolled voters.[2]
History[edit]
The seat of Murchison was created in the redistribution of 1999, and largely replaced the west coast seat of Russell, which had existed since 1885.[3] The electorate is named after Mount Murchison near Rosebery and the Murchison River (Tasmania) which flows through the region.
Members[edit]
The elected members for the seat of Murchison have all sat as independents, including those for the former seat of Russell.[3]
| Member | Party | Period | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tony Fletcher | Independent | 1999–2005 | |
| Ruth Forrest | Independent | 2005–present | |
Election results[edit]
| Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Independent | Ruth Forrest | 16,542 | 71.88 | +15.20 | |
| Shooters, Fishers, Farmers | Brenton Jones | 3,098 | 13.46 | +13.46 | |
| Independent | Codie Hutchison | 2,508 | 10.90 | +10.90 | |
| Independent | Getty Burnett | 865 | 3.76 | +3.76 | |
| Total formal votes | 23,013 | 96.09 | −0.59 | ||
| Informal votes | 936 | 3.91 | +0.59 | ||
| Turnout | 23,949 | 85.19 | +0.79 | ||
| Registered electors | 28,114 | ||||
| Independent hold | |||||
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^ Legislative Council Divisions (2016-17 redistribution) from theLIST ©State of Tasmania (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence).
- ^ Legislative Council Divisional Enrolment as at 31 January 2019, Tasmanian Legislative Council, 6 February 2019.
- ^ a b Raue, Ben. "Murchison – Tasmania LC 2017". tallyroom.com.au. The Tally Room. Retrieved 6 May 2017.
- ^ "2023 Legislative Council elections results – Murchison". Tasmanian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 6 May 2023.