URGENT – We may lose “Ballarat East”
We may lose the name ‘Ballarat East’ for ever. Please read on and see if you think there is something we can do about it, or indeed if you think its important.
The Electoral Boundaries Commission (EBC) has been revising the boundaries for Victoria “to ensure that each vote in Victorian State elections has an equal value and that each elector is represented equally in the Victorian Parliament.” This seems fair and right and something that happens periodically due to population growth, demographic change and development.
It is required to ensure that, according to State Law, each electorate contains about the same number of people eligible to vote. So its a regular process.
Earlier this year the EBC requested public submissions and they received 17 at a public hearing in April and took these into account in preparing the revised boundaries. The submissions can be viewed here – http://www.ebc.vic.gov.au/submissions.html
However I’m sure not many people understood that it might mean a name change for us, for good.
The proposed change which affects us is that the electorate of ‘Ballarat East’ will become part of the revised ‘Ballarat’ electorate.
So tell us what you think. Is this historically speaking, the final death rattle of a proud diverse suburb? In the past we were once a city – then amalgamated with the West. Then we were a suburb – then cut-up, renamed ‘Eureka’ and ‘Canadian’. Eureka Stockade did not happen in Eureka, it happened in Ballarat East. No amount of re-writes can at least change that fact.
Or are we making a mountain out of a mullock heap?
Please tell us what you think in comments below
At this stage is is only proposed and here is a link to all the proposed changes in the Electoral Boundaries:
http://www.ebc.vic.gov.au/media/20130627%20proposed%20State%20electoral%20boundaries%20release.html
Any person or organisation may lodge a written suggestion or objection about the proposed boundaries with the EBC. The deadline for suggestions or objections is 29 July 2013. The EBC will take account of suggestions and objections, and prepare final boundaries by early October 2013. These boundaries will take effect at the 2014 State election.
For further Information:
Paul Thornton-Smith
Secretary
Electoral Boundaries Commission
Phone: (03) 8620 1100
Email: info@ebc.vic.gov.au
Website: ebc.vic.gov.au
[…] URGENT WE MAY LOSE BALLARAT EAST. And here is what one resident had to say: […]
[…] For background on this issue see: http://ballarateast.net/urgent-we-may-lose-ballarat-east/ […]
East Ballarat is the oldest part of our city, and has a distinct and separate identity from West Ballarat. If we are lumped into one municipality, we lose our historic identity, and Ballarat as a town loses a living record of it’s evolution.
I agree this loss would be very sad considering the history involved…perhaps get the committee(?) of the new MADE museum involved, and the Ballarat Historic Society… perhaps they could lodge objections as organisations?
Hey Louise will you please forward your objection to us here at info@ballarateast.net and we will collate for the website as well to support people to write if they want to.
Writing objection now! A city this size cant be covered by one whole electorate anyway…too diverse.
It is disappointing that the Ballarat East Electorate was one of the earliest seats in the Victorian Parliament, established in the second state election in 1859 and won by none other that the hero and famous Ballarat Eureka identity – J B Humffray – when we lose the seat we lose that tangible connection not only with the suburb but also the Eureka historic connection.