By Callum Ludwig
The Casey electorate looks set to survive the electoral redistribution in Victoria, with the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) proposing the inner-east seat of Higgins be abolished to bring the state down to 38 seats ahead of next year’s election.
Casey had been suggested to be abolished by the Australian Labor Party in the submission process but will now instead gain a few thousand voters to bring it up the minimum requirement at a projected date in just under four years’ time.
Casey MP Aaron Violi said he is very happy that the electorate is remaining.
“It is a special and unique community that should be represented by one voice and it’s great to see that the Electoral Commissioners recognise that and that we will continue to have one federal voice representing the Yarra Ranges Council area which is the best thing for our community,” he said.
“I know the Yarra Ranges Council put a submission in supporting that the federal seat mirrored Yarra Ranges Council because what it allows for is that I can engage in deep conversations with the Yarra Ranges Council about what’s important to them and what they’re seeing as the advocacy needs of our community and keep an open and consistent dialogue,”
“When I’m talking about our community in Canberra, it’s a lot easier and more efficient for everyone if Council’s engaging with one Federal member and one Federal member’s engaging primarily with one Council.”
If the AEC proposal goes ahead as is put forward, which is likely, Casey will also be gaining 3979 voters; 1589 voters from McEwen in the localities of Bend of Islands, Christmas Hills, Smiths Gully and Watsons Creek as well as parts of Kangaroo Ground, Kinglake, Panton Hill and St Andrews, and 2390 voters from Wonga Park, which will be taken from Menzies.
This brings the total number of voters projected to reside in Casey on Monday 17 April 2028 to 122,825, 40 above the minimum requirement.
Mr Violi said assuming the draft stays as it is, he is very much looking forward to representing those new areas and getting out to visit the community groups there.
“There’s a lot of synergies between those areas and our existing communities, particularly Wonga Park, as a lot of people from there will shop at Chirnside Park Shopping Centre, play sport at Chirnside Park Football Club or go to Chirnside Park Primary School,” he said.
“I also know a lot of people from Christmas Hills go to Yarra Glen Primary School,”
“Until October we can’t campaign or engage in those communities because we don’t know how it will be finalised, but once they’re finalised I’m looking forward to getting out and talking to the community, understanding what’s important to them and making sure that their voice is heard in Canberra as well.”
In the report, the AEC also avoided changing the names of any existing divisions or bestowing the name of the abolished Higgins seat to another electorate.
The Chair of the Committee and Electoral Commissioner Tom Rogers said the Victorian redistribution was required to enable a decrease from 39 to 38 electoral divisions.
“Under the proposal some significant changes would occur, with the boundaries of Victorian divisions being amended to accommodate the decrease,” he said.
“38 of the existing 39 division names would be retained with the Division of Higgins to be abolished.”
In the submissions process, 17 submissions put forward that the seat of Casey be renamed Barak, in honour of William Barak, a Wurundjeri ngurungaeta (clan leader) and advocate for the retention of the Coranderrk Aboriginal settlement near Healesville.
These submissions came from individuals, as well as Yarra Ranges Council, the Voices For Casey group and the Millgrove Resident’s Action Group.
Mr Violi said he definitely thinks we need to continue to have a conversation around the name of Casey.
“The City of Casey to our south and the federal seat of Casey does create some confusion with both the council area and our federal area named after Sir Richard Casey, but it’s not unique and happens in a few areas, with Monash being another example,” he said.
“I think William Barak would be an appropriate name change if the AEC decided to change the name in the future, given his connection to our community and the strong Indigenous community.”
While the changes to the seat of Casey are unlikely to have a significant impact on an election outcome, ABC election analyst Antony Green predicts that the neighbouring ‘Liberal seat of Deakin is weakened for the Liberal Party’.
Under the AEC proposal, Casey’s neighbouring electorates of Aston will gain Kilsyth South from Deakin, as well as Deakin’s parts of Bayswater North, Heathmont and Ringwood. Deakin will gain part of Burwood East, Blackburn, Blackburn North, Donvale, Mitcham, Nunawading, Park Orchards, Ringwood North and Warrandyte South.
Three submissions, including the Victorian branch of the Australian Greens proposed the seat of La Trobe taking Avonsleigh, Clematis, Emerald and Macclesfield from Casey. Parts of those townships remain the only parts of the Yarra Ranges Council area not under the Casey electorate.
Mr Violi said there’s obviously some crossover in that area.
“As an example, the Emerald SES do an amazing job of looking after and protecting the Dandenong Ranges such as in the June 2021 storms and many other events so I spend time in Emerald even though it’s in La Trobe talking to the SES and other organisations because there is still that community connection,” he said.
“I’m already engaging with some of those groups in Emerald because they do service and do work in our community as well so I can understand that argument but I do think the result the AEC have come up with makes sense.”
The abolishing of the seat of Higgins also prompted some murmurs of a return from former Liberal Treasurer Josh Frydenberg to challenge in his old seat of Kooyong but he publicly quashed rumours of a return to politics. Amelia Hamer had already been preselected for the seat in late March but former Liberal Party figures Jason Falinksi and Karen Andrews told Sky News Australia and ABC Radio respectively of their support for Frydenberg to run again before his announcement.
Mr Violi said Ms Hamer has the full support of Frydenberg, himself and their colleagues.
“It’s so important that we as a party, as MPs and as candidates, need to be focused on our communities and their needs and challenges and not engaging in internal discussions about ourselves, that’s not helpful,” he said.
