By Charlene Macaulay
Williams Landing, Laverton and parts of Point Cook have been cut from the seat of Lalor following an Australian Electoral Commission redistribution of Victorian federal electorates.
The new-look Lalor will encompass Werribee, Werribee South, Hoppers Crossing, Little River, Mambourin, Cocoroc, Manor Lakes, Wyndham Vale, Tarneit and parts of Point Cook, Truganina, Mount Cottrell and Eynesbury.
Williams Landing (south of Federation Trail), Laverton and a large chunk of Point Cook (from Hacketts, Sneydes and Point Cook roads) have been moved to the seat of Gellibrand.
A redistribution was conducted because 131,058 voters were enrolled in Lalor under the existing boundaries – more than 10 per cent above the current enrolment quota of 106,954 for Victorian electorates.
Lalor MP Joanne Ryan stressed that the changes would not impact residents until after the next federal election.
“If people still need assistance with federal issues, they can still come here [her electoral office] until after the election,” she said.
She said the area was under-represented in Parliament and the changes would right that.
“I’ll still be talking and representing Wyndham more broadly, so I’ll still be a voice for Williams Landing,” she said.
“Where do I feel the crunch the most? Laverton, which now moves completely from Lalor into Gellibrand. That makes absolute sense in terms of local government area, but I’ve been connected to Laverton for over 30 years because I worked there, talked there.”
Bob Fairclough, from the Point Cook Action Group, said the group opposed the changed boundaries because they would effectively split Point Cook between Lalor and Gellibrand.
But he said that Gellibrand MP Tim Watts had offered to meet the group, which he considered a positive step forward.
“We’re a little bit concerned that we have to go to two representatives on issues, rather than one,” he said.
“[But] I think we’re going to try and make the most of the situation.”
