Electoral district of Townsville

The Electoral district of Townsville is an electorate in the Legislative Assembly of the state of Queensland, Australia. The seat is one of four within the Townsville urban area in North Queensland, and covers the Eastern and Northern suburbs of the City of Townsville as well as Magnetic Island and Palm Island.cite web|url=http://www.abc.net.au/elections/qld/2006/guide/town.htm|title=ABC Electorate guide|accessdate=2006-12-21]

Significant features in Townsville within the electorate are; The Strand, the Port of Townsville, Townsville Airport, RAAF Garbutt, Castle Hill, Museum of Tropical Queensland, Reef HQ, various administrative centres for Local, State and Federal Governments. Suburbs of Townsville within the Electorate include; Townsville, North Ward, Castle Hill, Belgian Gardens, West End, Hyde Park, Garbutt, Mt Louisa, Currajong, Railway Estate, South Townsville, Rowes Bay, Bohle and Pallarenda.cite web|url=http://www.teambeattie.com/01_cms/details.asp?ID=117|title=Team Beattie Electorate guide|accessdate=2006-12-16] Two populated islands fall within the electorate; Magnetic Island and Palm Island, each have about 2500 residentscite web|url=http://www.magnetic-island.com.au/why.html|title=Magnetic Island|accessdate=2006-12-16] cite web|url=http://www.brisinst.org.au/resources/brisbane_institute_lessons_palmisland.html|title=Brisbane Institute - Lessons from Palm Island|accessdate=2006-12-16] , 93% of Palm Island's population is Indigenouscite web|url=http://www.communityrenewal.qld.gov.au/communities/operate/palm_island.shtm|title=Dept of Communities - Community Renewal|accessdate=2006-12-16] .

This State electorate falls completely within the eastern portion of the Federal Division of Herbert. It encompasses the Local Government Areas of Palm Island and parts of Townsville.

Townsville Electorate is bordered by the Hinchinbrook (North), Burdekin (South), Mundingburra (South and West) and Thuringowa (West) Electorates.cite web|url=http://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/profiles/Townsville/Map.pdf|title=Electoral Commission of Queensland map of Electorate|accessdate=2006-12-16] With 26,595 voters, the Electorate is 5.94% smaller than the Queensland averagecite web|url=http://www.ecq.qld.gov.au/profiles/currentEnrolmentFigures.html|title=Electoral Commission of Queensland|accessdate=2006-12-16] and therefore will probably increase in size in the upcoming redistribution.cite web|url=http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20836410-29277,00.html|title=The Australian, "Premier announces electoral redistribution", 28 Nov 2006|accessdate=2006-12-16]

Townsville is currently a safe Labor Party seat, held by Hon Mike Reynolds MP, Speaker of the Legislative Assembly.

History

The Electoral district of Townsville was created in 1878, in 1885 it was divided in two and then one year later it was remerged but it was determined that the reconstituted single Townsville Electorate would elect two representatives to the Legislative Assembly.cite web|url=http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/historical/documents/electionsReferendums/electoratelist.pdf|title=REPRESENTATIVES OF QUEENSLAND STATE ELECTORATES 1860 - 2006|accessdate=2007-01-15]

Premier Robert Philp (Premier 1899-1903 and 1907-08) was elected as one of the two Townsville members when his previous Electorate of Musgrave absorbed. His parliamentary activity was mainly in support of North Queensland and his own business interests - extending railway links to North Queensland, and the abolition of import tariffs. When the import of Pacific Islanders was temporarily halted in 1892 Philp was instrumental in securing its resumption.

In 1912 the Electoral district of Mundingburra was created to accommodate for the return to universal single member electorates. 1923 saw the further reduction in size of the Electorate with the northern part of the city ceded to Kennedy and the southern part to Mundingburra, and in 1959 it was abolished and divided into the two electorates of South Townsville and North Townsville. The 1971 redistribution recreated the Electorate with new neighbours, Townsville West and Townsville South, Townsville included most of the Northern part of the City and some rural areas which were formerly in Hinchinbrook. The Electorate was reduced in size again in 1986 redistribution with a new neighbour of Townsville East. When Townsville East was abolished in 1991 Townsville Electorate gained land but lost land in the South-West corner to the newly re-created seat of Mundingburra.

In 1998 Mike Reyolds was elected as the new Member for the Townsville Electorate taking over from retiring Labor Member Ken Geoff Smith and was immediately appointed Parliamentary Secretary to the Premier in North Queensland. After increasing the Townsville margin in 2001 Mr. Reynolds was promoted to Cabinet as Minister for Emergency Services and Minister Assisting the Premier in North Queensland. In 2004 Mr. Reynolds was moved to the new Child Safety Ministry with Ministerial responsibilities for adoptions, child protection services, foster/kinship carers etc.

After increasing his margin by 9.5% primary vote towards Labor in the 2006 election, Mr. Reynolds was elected as Speaker of the Queensland Legislative Assembly by the 52nd Parliament on 10 October 2006.

Members for Townsville

References