In what can be seen as another blow for the regions, a review by the State's Electoral Commission has resulted in the two regional seats of Moore and North West Central being amalgamated into a new Mid West seat, to allow for the creation of the new metropolitan seat of Oakford, north of Perth.
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The Electoral Commission reviews the State's electoral boundaries every four years, with the purpose of ensuring similar populations in each electoral seat are maintained, while also considering "communities of interest, land use patterns, local government boundaries, means of travel and distance from Perth".
Despite the electoral commission receiving 547 objections against the electoral boundary redraw in the final consultation phase, the final report by the electoral commission stated the "paramount consideration" in the electoral boundary review is elector numbers.
"The commissioners acknowledge that electors residing in regional and remote WA face unique and tangible difficulties," the report stated.
"They also recognise that the current feelings of disenfranchisement in these communities will likely be exacerbated by the inexorable trend of rapid metropolitan growth.
"However, the validity of these concerns does not alter the legislative obligations and practical realities that the distribution process must operate within."
State opposition and The Nationals WA leader Shane Love, who is also MP for Moore, said the decision to amalgamate the two seats was "very, very disappointing".
"Today's devastating result comes just two years after the WA Labor government stripped 18
regional members from the parliament when it abolished the upper house regions in 2021 and four months after they refused to support an amendment to the Electoral Reform Act 1907 to increase the Large District Allowance from 1.5 percent to 3pc, which would have had the effect of retaining the current number of regional electorates," Mr Love said.
"Mid West is a huge electoral seat that will stretch from Muchea to Meekatharra, leaving
communities voiceless to make way for yet another metro seat in Perth.
"This giant seat covers 420,000 square kilometres - more than five times the current seat Moore, double the size of Victoria and half the size of New South Wales.
"This is so disappointing for regional Western Australia and lives in the old mining and pastoral and agricultural regions, with a mere seven members of parliament representing 2.5 million square kilometres, in an area where there used to be 20 members of parliament, prior to these changes."
The electoral commissioners final report stated that the majority of submissions addressed the impacts of abolishing a non-metropolitan electoral district, and included 47 submissions from local councils voicing community concerns about the effect the decision would have on regional electors.
Other points raised in the submissions included that the loss of a non-metropolitan electoral district would further reduce the level of direct regional representation in parliament, and that geographically large electoral districts present practical challenges to both constituents and elected members.
"The commissioners also noted that submissions on the subject of non-metropolitan districts almost without exception reflected a growing sense of dilution of the representation of regional communities, with alarm at the perceived likely reduction in government attention to the economic and other importance of regional areas," the report stated.
The changes will take effect for the 2025 State general election.
