Agricultural Region

Agricultural Region
Western Australia—Legislative Council
Agricultural Region; Western Australia—Legislative Council
	Location of Agricultural Region in Western Australia
State	Western Australia
Created	1989
MP	Darren West (Labor); Shelley Payne (Labor); Sandra Carr (Labor); Martin Aldridge (Nationals); Colin de Grussa (Nationals); Steve Martin (Liberal);
Party	Labor (3); Nationals (2); Liberal (1);
Electors	103,378 (2021)
Area	288,922 km2 (111,553.4 sq mi)
Demographic	Rural

The Agricultural Region is a multi-member electoral region of the Western Australian Legislative Council, located in the South West, Peel and part of the Great Southern regions of the state. It was created by the Acts Amendment (Electoral Reform) Act 1987, and became effective on 22 May 1989 with five members who had been elected at the 1989 state election three months earlier. At the 2008 election, it was increased to six members.

Legislation to abolish the region, along with all other Western Australian Electoral Regions was passed in November 2021, with the 2025 state election to use a single state-wide electorate of 37 members.^[1]

Geography

The Region is made up of several complete Legislative Assembly districts, which change at each distribution.

Redistribution	Period	Electoral districts	Electors	% of state electors	Area
29 April 1988^[2]	22 May 1989 – 22 May 1997	Avon, Geraldton, Greenough, Merredin, Moore, Roe, Wagin (7)	80,626	8.89%	267,448 km² (103,262 sq mi)
28 November 1994^[3]	22 May 1997 – 22 May 2005	As per 1988	87,137	8.27%	267,448 km² (103,262 sq mi)
4 August 2003^[4]	22 May 2005 – 22 May 2009	As per 1988	94,877	7.81%	261,282 km² (100,882 sq mi)
29 October 2007^[5]	22 May 2009 – 22 May 2017	Central Wheatbelt, Geraldton, Moore, Wagin (4)	82,479	6.56%	200,091 km² (77,256 sq mi)
27 November 2015^[6]	22 May 2017 – 22 May 2021	Central Wheatbelt, Geraldton, Moore, Roe (4)	102,748	6.45%	281,264 km² (108,597 sq mi)
27 November 2019^[7]	22 May 2021 – 22 May 2025	As per 2015	103,378	6.02%	288,922 km² (111,553 sq mi)

Representation

Distribution of seats

As 5-member seat:

Election	Seats won
1989–1993
1993–1997
1997–2001
2001–2005
2005–2009

As 6-member seat:

Election	Seats won
2009–2013
2013–2017
2017–2021
2021–2025

Legend:

	Labor
	Liberal
	National
	Greens
	One Nation
	Shooters, Fishers and Farmers

Members

Since its creation, the electorate has had 25 members, only seven of whom were or are not from either the Liberal or National parties. All five of the members elected in 1989 had previously been members of the Legislative Council—two from the South Province, one from the Central Province, one from the South-East Province, and one from the Upper West Province.

Members for Agricultural Region
Year		Party		Party		Party		Party		Party		Party
1989	Jim Brown	Labor	Margaret McAleer	Liberal	David Wordsworth	Liberal	Eric Charlton	Nationals	John Caldwell	Nationals
1992	Kim Chance	Labor	Margaret McAleer	Liberal	David Wordsworth	Liberal			John Caldwell	Nationals
1993			Murray Nixon	Liberal	Bruce Donaldson	Liberal			Murray Criddle	Nationals
1996
1998							Dexter Davies	Nationals
2001			Dee Margetts	Greens			Frank Hough	One Nation
2004			Dee Margetts	Greens			Frank Hough	New Country
2005			Margaret Rowe	Liberal			Anthony Fels	Liberal
2007			Brian Ellis	Liberal				Liberal
2008								Family First	Wendy Duncan	Nationals
2008	Matt Benson-Lidholm	Labor			Jim Chown	Liberal	Philip Gardiner	Nationals	Mia Davies	Nationals	Max Trenorden	Nationals
2012								Independent	Mia Davies	Nationals		Independent
2013								Independent	Martin Aldridge	Nationals		Independent
2013	Darren West	Labor					Rick Mazza	Shooters, Fishers, Farmers			Paul Brown	Nationals
2017			Laurie Graham	Labor			Rick Mazza	Shooters, Fishers, Farmers			Colin de Grussa	Nationals
2021			Shelley Payne	Labor	Sandra Carr	Labor	Steve Martin	Liberal			Colin de Grussa	Nationals

Election results

2021 Western Australian state election: Agricultural^[8]
Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
Quota			12,357
	Labor	1. Darren West (elected 1) 2. Shelley Payne (elected 3) 3. Sandra Carr (elected 4) 4. Luke Clarkson	39,263	45.39	+21.39
	National	1. Colin de Grussa (elected 2) 2. Martin Aldridge (elected 6) 3. Natasha Colliver 4. Steve Blyth 5. Rob Horstman 6. Ian Hanna	22,999	26.59	−4.72
	Liberal	1. Steve Martin (elected 5) 2. Kathryn Jackson 3. Jim Chown 4. Maria Girak 5. Brett Jackson	10,672	12.34	−6.31
	Shooters, Fishers, Farmers	1. Stuart Ostle 2. Ronald Lean	3,572	4.13	−1.52
	Greens	1. Peter Leam 2. Vivienne Glance	2,579	2.98	−0.62
	One Nation	1. Rod Caddies 2. Emma McKinley	1,765	2.04	−9.62
	Christians	1. Trevor Young 2. Les Holten	1,295	1.50	−0.34
	Legalise Cannabis	1. Leo Treasure 2. Keith Clinton	1,150	1.33	+1.33
	No Mandatory Vaccination	1. Aaron Horsman 2. Jessica Young	685	0.79	+0.79
	Western Australia	1. Michael O'Loghlen 2. Allan Butson	462	0.53	+0.24
	Animal Justice	1. Courtney Henry 2. Roberta Vlaar	339	0.39	+0.39
	Liberal Democrats	1. Connor Whittle 2. Cameron Puttick	339	0.39	−0.70
	Liberals for Climate	1. Peter Turner 2. Nathan Thomson	205	0.24	−0.12
	Health Australia	1. Bass Tadros 2. Svetlana Ivanchenko	201	0.23	+0.23
	WAxit	1. Russell Sewell 2. Simon Glossop	186	0.22	+0.11
	Great Australian	1. Lawrie Carr 2. Shane Edwards	185	0.21	+0.21
	Sustainable Australia	1. Greg Norris 2. James Fowler	153	0.18	+0.18
	Independent	Parminder Singh	134	0.15	+0.15
	Daylight Saving	1. Brett Tucker 2. Andrew Wilson	69	0.08	−0.14
	Independent	1. J. M. David	66	0.08	+0.08
	Independent	1. Felly Chandra 2. Chelsea Henderson	62	0.07	+0.07
	Independent	Andrew Ballantyne	36	0.04	+0.04
	Independent	Les Mirco	27	0.03	+0.03
	Independent	Peter Wallis	25	0.03	+0.03
	Independent	Steven Hopkins	24	0.03	+0.03
Total formal votes			86,493	97.77	+0.68
Informal votes			1,969	2.23	−0.68
Turnout			88,462	85.57	−1.63

References

^ "'Devastating for regional communities': WA government uses majority to overhaul state's electoral laws". ABC News. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
^ "Electoral Districts Act 1947–1985 – Order in Council". Western Australia Government Gazette. 29 April 1988. p. 1988:1339–1527.
^ "Electoral Distributions Act 1947 – Division of the State into Six Electoral Regions and 57 Electoral Districts by the Electoral Distribution Commissioners". Western Australia Government Gazette. 28 November 1994. p. 1994:6135–6327.
^ "Electoral Distributions Act 1947 – Division of the State into Electoral Regions and Districts by the Electoral Distribution Commissioners". Western Australia Government Gazette. 4 August 2003. p. 2003:3475–3566.
^ Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC) (29 October 2007). "South West Region Profile". Retrieved 22 October 2008.^{[permanent dead link‍]}
^ Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC) (27 November 2015). "Agricultural Region". Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.
^ Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC) (27 November 2019). "Agricultural Region". Retrieved 9 March 2021.
^ "2021 State General Election Results: Agricultural Region". Western Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 April 2021.

[1] "'Devastating for regional communities': WA government uses majority to overhaul state's electoral laws". ABC News. 16 November 2021. Retrieved 19 March 2023.

[2] "Electoral Districts Act 1947–1985 – Order in Council". Western Australia Government Gazette. 29 April 1988. p. 1988:1339–1527.

[3] "Electoral Distributions Act 1947 – Division of the State into Six Electoral Regions and 57 Electoral Districts by the Electoral Distribution Commissioners". Western Australia Government Gazette. 28 November 1994. p. 1994:6135–6327.

[4] "Electoral Distributions Act 1947 – Division of the State into Electoral Regions and Districts by the Electoral Distribution Commissioners". Western Australia Government Gazette. 4 August 2003. p. 2003:3475–3566.

[5] Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC) (29 October 2007). "South West Region Profile". Retrieved 22 October 2008.^{[permanent dead link‍]}

[6] Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC) (27 November 2015). "Agricultural Region". Archived from the original on 20 April 2017. Retrieved 20 April 2017.

[7] Western Australian Electoral Commission (WAEC) (27 November 2019). "Agricultural Region". Retrieved 9 March 2021.

[Results_of_the_2021_Western_Australian_state_election_(Legislative_Council)_waec-results4-8] "2021 State General Election Results: Agricultural Region". Western Australian Electoral Commission. Retrieved 1 April 2021.

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