Boundary shifts the tip of the iceberg

Proposed electoral boundary changes could see Tom Stephens marginal seat of Pilbara increase, but the Labor MP said more fundamental changes were needed to regional governance.

Under proposals the current Pilbara district would gain the Shire of Roebourne but give up parts of the Shire of Ashburton, including Tom Price, Paraburdoo and Pannawonica, Electoral Commissioner Warwick Gately said.

The planned changes, by the Office of Electoral Distribution Commissioners', are to ensure there are an even number of voters across the state's 59 electorates ahead of the 2013 election.

Mr Stephens holds Pilbara by a margin of 3.6 per cent, which could increase to 7.2 per cent.

“Part of the problem here is the number of electors in the Pilbara is not growing proportionately with the number of electors in the rest of the state because of this phenomenon of fly-in fly- out,” Mr Stephens said.

“Even though we’ve got a growing community we haven’t got a growing residential population- the state is growing faster then the number of electors in the Pilbara.”

Mr Stephens linked the issue with his view that greater reform was needed to create opportunities for a regional assembly to respond to needs in the North without having to be dependent upon a “rather remote and unfocused state government”.

“We’ve got so many needs that are so self evident that are not being tackled fast enough, whether it is the simple issues of land release, power, water- the dangers of the road system.

“I just can’t see that the electoral processes delivered by this redistribution either help or hinder the opportunity for government to stay focused on them,” he said.

Mr Stephens called for a variation of the model in the Scottish parliament which would allow funds and responsibility to land more closely to where the needs are.

“I think that there is a need for profound structural change to regional governance that can devolve power away from remote capitals in Perth and Canberra to a structure in Regional Western Australia,” he said.

The final boundaries will be revealed on October 10.