1270.0.55.003 - Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS): Volume 3 - Non ABS Structures, July 2019  
ARCHIVED ISSUE Released at 11:30 AM (CANBERRA TIME) 22/10/2019   
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This document was added or updated on 28/08/2018.

STATE ELECTORAL DIVISIONS (SED)
The 2019 Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) edition of the State Electoral Divisions (SED) structure includes updates to the definitions of the various state electoral districts that have occurred prior to 1 October 2019. Specifically, this edition includes updates to the Northern Territory and Australian Capital Territory electoral divisions, reflecting recent electoral boundary redistributions. This edition updates the 2018 edition of State Electoral Divisions released in the ASGS Volume 3 - Non ABS Structures, July 2018.

ASGS State Electoral Divisions are an ABS approximation of the respective State and Territory Electoral Commission's state electoral districts. A state electoral district is an area legally prescribed for the purpose of returning one or more members to the State or Territory Lower Houses of Parliament, or the relevant equivalent.

The Australian Electoral Commission website https://www.aec.gov.au/Elections/other_electoral_sites/index.htm provides links to all State and Territory Electoral Authorities.

METHODOLOGY
ASGS State Electoral Divisions developed by the ABS are an approximation of the state and territory electoral districts using one or more Statistical Areas Level 1 (SA1). Each SA1 has been allocated once to a State Electoral Division based on the largest population contribution. It should be noted that where a SA1 covers two or more State Electoral Divisions, the SA1 can only be allocated to one electorate.

For the 2019 ASGS, 450 State Electoral Divisions have been defined to cover the whole of geographic Australia, with the exception of the external territories of Jervis Bay, Norfolk Island, Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands, which are allocated to "Unclassified (OT)". State Electoral Divisions do not cross State and Territory borders.

Unclassified, No Usual Address and Migratory-Offshore-Shipping are represented as non-spatial objects in the State Electoral Division digital boundaries.

STATE ELECTORAL DIVISION NAMES
ASGS State Electoral Division names are the same as those allocated by the Electoral Commission in each respective State or Territory.

STATE ELECTORAL DIVISION CODING STRUCTURE
State Electoral Divisions are allocated a four digit code within each State or Territory. This is prefixed by a single digit State or Territory code to enable unique identification of States or Territories across the country.

The codes used for the 2019 ASGS State Electoral Divisions may not match those used in 2018 as codes are assigned alphabetically within each State and Territory, and some State Electoral Division names have changed since 2018. A geographic correspondence file enabling the translation of data from 2018 to 2019 SEDs is available in the downloads tab of this publication.

Special purpose codes are included as balancing items. SA1s allocated to these codes are not part of a State Electoral Division.

  • SED code 9494 is reserved for those State or Territories where people are coded to the No Usual Address SA1s.
  • SED code 9797 is reserved for those State or Territories that have Migratory, Off-Shore and Shipping SA1s.

Example:
State and Territory State Electoral Division CodeState Electoral Division Name
59494No usual address (WA)
59797Migratory - Offshore - Shipping (WA)

It should be noted that States or Territories have different electoral arrangements. A summary of these differences and how they affect the State Electoral Division classification is provided below.


New South Wales (NSW)
New South Wales has two Houses of Parliament but only the Legislative Assembly (Lower House) electoral districts are represented in the State Electoral Division classification since the Legislative Council (upper House) is a single constituency. State Electoral Divisions are sorted by Lower House district name and then allocated a State or Territory code (digit 1) and a code starting from 0001 (digits 2-5).

Example:
State and Territory NameState and Territory CodeState Electoral Division CodeState Electoral Division Name
New South Wales110001Albury
New South Wales110002Auburn



Victoria (Vic.)
In Victoria, the Legislative Council (Upper House) regions are obtained by amalgamating the Legislative Assembly (Lower House) electoral districts. The State Electoral Division classification provides information on both of these houses. The code comprises a State or Territory code (digit 1), a Lower House code (digits 2-3) and an Upper House code (digits 4-5). Upper House region names are recorded in brackets after the Lower House district names.

Example:
State and Territory NameState and Territory CodeState Electoral Division CodeState Electoral Division Name
Victoria220106Albert Park (Southern Metropolitan)
Victoria220207Altona (Western Metropolitan)



Queensland (Qld)
Queensland has only one House of Parliament (the Legislative Assembly) with each member representing an electoral district. These districts are equivalent to divisions in this classification. State Electoral Divisions are sorted by name then allocated a State or Territory code (digit 1) and a code starting from 0001 (digits 2-5).

Example:
State and Territory NameState and Territory CodeState Electoral Division CodeState Electoral Division Name
Queensland330001Algester
Queensland330002Aspley



South Australia (SA)
Like New South Wales, in South Australia, there are two Houses of Parliament but only the House of Assembly (Lower House) electoral districts are represented in the State Electoral Division classification since the Legislative Council (Upper House) is a single constituency. State Electoral Divisions are sorted by Lower House name then allocated a State or Territory code (digit 1) and a code starting from 0001 (digits 2-5).

Example:
State and Territory NameState and Territory CodeState Electoral Division CodeState Electoral Division Name
South Australia440001Adelaide
South Australia440002Badcoe



Western Australia (WA)
In Western Australia, Legislative Council (Upper House) regions are obtained by amalgamating the Legislative Assembly (Lower House) electoral districts. The State Electoral Division classification provides information on both of these houses. The five-digit code comprises a State or Territory code (digit 1), a Lower House code (digits 2-3) and an Upper House code (digits 4-5). Upper House region names are recorded in brackets after the Lower House district names.

Example:
State and Territory NameState and Territory CodeState Electoral Division CodeState Electoral Division Name
Western Australia550106Albany (South West)
Western Australia550304Balcatta (North Metropolitan)



Tasmania (Tas.)
In Tasmania there are two Houses of Parliament, the House of Assembly (Lower House) and the Legislative Council (Upper House). The Upper House divisions do not aggregate to or from the Lower House divisions. Information on both Houses is provided by the State Electoral Division classification. The code comprises a State or Territory code (digit 1), a Lower House code (digits 2-3), and an Upper House code (digits 4-5). Tasmanian Upper House names are recorded in brackets after Lower House names. Because Upper House divisions do not aggregate from the Lower House divisions there is more than one code covering a Lower House division, for example, one for each overlapping House division.


Example:
State and Territory NameState and Territory CodeState Electoral Division CodeState Electoral Division Name
Tasmania660301 Clark (Derwent)
Tasmania660302 Clark (Elwick)
Tasmania660303 Clark (Hobart)
Tasmania660310 Clark (Nelson)
Tasmania660404 Franklin (Huon)
Tasmania660410Franklin (Nelson)
Tasmania660411Franklin (Pembroke)
Tasmania660414 Franklin (Rumney)



Northern Territory (NT)
In the Northern Territory there is only one House of Parliament, the Legislative Assembly, the electorates for which are equivalent to the divisions in the State Electoral Division classification. State Electoral Divisions are sorted by name, then allocated a State or Territory code (digit 1), and then a code starting from 0001 (digits 2-5).

Example:
State and Territory NameState and Territory CodeState Electoral Division CodeState Electoral Division Name
Northern Territory770001Arafura
Northern Territory770002Araluen



Australian Capital Territory (ACT)
The Australian Capital Territory has only one House of Parliament, the Legislative Assembly, the electorates for which are equivalent to the divisions in the State Electoral Division classification. State Electoral Divisions are sorted by name and then allocated State or Territory code (digit 1), and then a code starting from 0001 (digits 2-5).

Example:
State and Territory NameState and Territory CodeState Electoral Division CodeState Electoral Division Name
Australian Capital Territory880001Brindabella
Australian Capital Territory880002Ginninderra



Other Territories (OT)
There are no State Electoral boundaries for Other Territories.
State and Territory CodeState Electoral Division CodeState Electoral Division Name
999191Unclassified (OT)