Ballarat West – Victoria 2010

ALP 6.5%

Incumbent MP
Karen Overington, since 1999.

Geography
Ballarat West covers urban areas in western parts of the City of Ballarat. Ballarat West covers Alfredton, the northern and western sections of Ballarat, Delacombe, Nerrina, Sebastopol and Wendouree.

History
Ballarat West first existed as an electoral district from 1859 to 1927, and again since 1992. The original district elected two members from 1859 until 1904, when it became a single-member district. Conservative parliamentarian Matthew Baird held the seat from 1911 to 1927.

The new Ballarat West was created at the 1992 election, and was won by the Liberal Party’s Paul Jenkins. He was re-elected in 1996, but retired in 1999, and the seat was lost to the ALP’s Karen Overington. Overington was re-elected in 2002 and 2006. She increased her margin to 9% in 2002, before it fell to 6.5% in 2006.

Candidates

Political situation
Ballarat West is held by a reasonably substantial margin, but could fall if the Liberal Party does well in the seat.

2006 result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Karen Overington ALP 17,292 47.11 -5.33
Shane Brennan LIB 13,934 37.96 +1.23
Belinda Coates GRN 3,631 9.89 +2.93
Dale Butterfield FF 1,847 5.03 +5.03

2006 two-candidate-preferred result

Candidate Party Votes % Swing
Karen Overington ALP 20,751 56.54 -2.46
Shane Brennan LIB 15,953 43.46 +2.46

Booth breakdown
Polling booths in Ballarat West have been divided into four areas: the centre of the seat, and those in the northeast, northwest and south. The ALP polled over 62% in the south, and between 54% and 56% in the other parts of the seat. The Greens polled particularly strongly with 14% in the centre of the seat, while only polling 8% in the northwest and south.

 

Polling booths in Ballarat West at the 2006 state election. Central in yellow, North East in green, North West in orange, South in blue.

 

Voter group GRN % ALP 2CP % Total votes % of votes
North West 8.08 53.96 9,214 25.10
North East 11.46 56.88 6,776 18.46
South 8.12 62.52 6,079 16.56
Central 14.28 55.92 5,469 14.90
Other votes 9.11 55.35 9,171 24.98
Two-party-preferred votes in Ballarat West at the 2006 state election.

5 COMMENTS

  1. Overington’s retirement might make this seat more vulnerable, but Ballarat seems to be pretty solid for Labor these days.

  3. That’s right, the fed Lib candidate got into some trouble over some extremely ill-considered remarks, though I can’t remember the story now.

  4. Paul Jenkins was NOT Defeated in the 1999 Election. He had retired due to ill health before the election was called.

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