# Brindabella electorate

The Brindabella electorate is one of the five electorates for the unicameral 25-member Australian Capital Territory Legislative Assembly. It elects five members, and is the largest of the electorates in geographic area.

## History

It was created in 1995, when the three-electorate, Hare-Clark electoral system was first introduced for the Australian Capital Territory (ACT). Prior to 1995, a multi-member single constituency existed for the whole of the ACT. "Brindabella" is derived from an indigenous word meaning "two kangaroo rats" and refers to the mountain range to the south and west of the ACT.

## Location

The Brindabella electorate consists of the large part of the ACT south of the Murrumbidgee River, although this region is sparsely inhabited.
From 1995 to 2008 it contained the Canberra district of Tuggeranong, excluding Hume, and the Woden Valley suburbs of Chifley, Pearce and Torrens.
In 2008, a boundary re-distribution by the Australian Capital Territory Electoral Commission, resulted in the electorate covering the Woden Valley suburb of Farrer.
In the 2016 redistribution, the Woden Valley suburbs, the village of Uriarra, and the suburb of Kambah were transferred into the Murrumbidgee electorate. At the 2019 redistribution, the western side of Kambah was transferred back into Brindabella. At the 2023 redistribution, the rest of Kambah was transferred back into Brindabella.

## Members

| Year | Member | Party | Member | Party | Member | Party | Member | Party | Member | Party |
| 1995 | Bill Wood | Labor | Andrew Whitecross | Labor | Paul Osborne | Independent | Trevor Kaine | Liberal | Tony De Domenico | Liberal |
| 1997$^1$ | Bill Wood | Labor | Andrew Whitecross | Labor | Paul Osborne | Independent | Trevor Kaine | Liberal | Louise Littlewood | Liberal |
| 1998 | Bill Wood | Labor | John Hargreaves | Labor | Paul Osborne | Independent | Trevor Kaine | Liberal | Brendan Smyth | Liberal |
| 1998$^2$ | Bill Wood | Labor | John Hargreaves | Labor | Paul Osborne | Independent | Trevor Kaine | Canberra Liberals | Brendan Smyth | Liberal |
| 1998$^2$ | Bill Wood | Labor | John Hargreaves | Labor | Paul Osborne | Independent | Trevor Kaine | United Canberra | Brendan Smyth | Liberal |
| 2001 | Bill Wood | Labor | John Hargreaves | Labor | Karin MacDonald | Labor | Steve Pratt | Liberal | Brendan Smyth | Liberal |
| 2004 | Mick Gentleman | Labor | John Hargreaves | Labor | Karin MacDonald | Labor | Steve Pratt | Liberal | Brendan Smyth | Liberal |
| 2008 | Joy Burch | Labor | John Hargreaves | Labor | Amanda Bresnan | Greens | Steve Doszpot | Liberal | Brendan Smyth | Liberal |
| 2012 | Joy Burch | Labor | Mick Gentleman | Labor | Andrew Wall | Liberal | Zed Seselja | Liberal | Brendan Smyth | Liberal |
| 2013$^3$ | Joy Burch | Labor | Mick Gentleman | Labor | Andrew Wall | Liberal | Nicole Lawder | Liberal | Brendan Smyth | Liberal |
| 2016$^4$ | Joy Burch | Labor | Mick Gentleman | Labor | Andrew Wall | Liberal | Nicole Lawder | Liberal | Val Jeffery | Liberal |
| 2016 | Joy Burch | Labor | Mick Gentleman | Labor | Andrew Wall | Liberal | Nicole Lawder | Liberal | Mark Parton | Liberal |
| 2020 | Joy Burch | Labor | Mick Gentleman | Labor | Johnathan Davis | Greens | Nicole Lawder | Liberal | Mark Parton | Liberal |
| 2023$^5$ | Joy Burch | Labor | Mick Gentleman | Labor | Laura Nuttall | Greens | Nicole Lawder | Liberal | Mark Parton | Liberal |
| 2024 | Caitlin Tough | Labor | Taimus Werner-Gibbings | Labor | Laura Nuttall | Greens | Deborah Morris | Liberal | Mark Parton | Liberal |
    $^1$ Tony De Domenico (Liberal) resigned on 30 January 1997. Louise Littlewood (Liberal) was elected as his replacement on a countback and was sworn in on 18 February 1997.
    $^2$ Trevor Kaine was elected on the Liberal ticket. From 1989 to 13 May 1998, Kaine sat as a Liberal. On 28 May 1998, Kaine announced he would sit as a Canberra Liberal, and on 30 July 1998, Kaine announced that he had registered the United Canberra Party and sat in the Assembly as its sole representative.
    $^3$ Zed Seselja (Liberal) resigned on 11 June 2013. Nicole Lawder (Liberal) was elected as his replacement on a countback on 28 June 2013.
    $^4$ Brendan Smyth (Liberal) resigned on 15 July 2016. Val Jeffery (Liberal) was elected as his replacement on a countback on 28 July 2016.
    $^5$ Johnathan Davis (Greens) resigned on 12 November 2023. Laura Nuttall (Greens) was elected as his replacement on a countback on 27 November 2023.

## Election results

2020 Australian Capital Territory election: Brindabella :
| Party | Party | Candidate | Votes | % | ±% |
| Quota | Quota | Quota | 9,236 | | |
| | Labor | Joy Burch (elected 1) | 6,459 | 11.7 | +3.5 |
| | Labor | Mick Gentleman (elected 2) | 6,395 | 11.5 | +3.1 |
| | Labor | Taimus Werner-Gibbings | 4,568 | 8.2 | +1.6 |
| | Labor | Cathy Day | 2,592 | 4.7 | +4.7 |
| | Labor | Brendan Forde | 2,546 | 4.6 | +4.6 |
| | Liberal | Mark Parton (elected 4) | 6,218 | 11.2 | +0.6 |
| | Liberal | Nicole Lawder (elected 3) | 5,866 | 10.6 | +1.7 |
| | Liberal | Andrew Wall | 4,579 | 8.3 | −3.7 |
| | Liberal | Jane Hiatt | 2,448 | 4.4 | +4.4 |
| | Liberal | James Daniels | 2,179 | 3.9 | +3.9 |
| | Greens | Johnathan Davis (elected 5) | 3,019 | 5.4 | +4.0 |
| | Greens | Laura Nuttall | 1,657 | 3.0 | +3.0 |
| | Greens | Sue Ellerman | 1,309 | 2.4 | +2.4 |
| | Shooters, Fishers, Farmers | Greg Baynham | 894 | 1.6 | +1.6 |
| | Shooters, Fishers, Farmers | Adrian Olley | 833 | 1.5 | +1.5 |
| | Sustainable Australia | Andrew Clapham | 763 | 1.4 | +1.4 |
| | Sustainable Australia | Bruce Willett | 514 | 0.9 | +0.9 |
| | Animal Justice | Jannah Fahiz | 653 | 1.2 | +1.2 |
| | Animal Justice | Robyn Soxsmith | 582 | 1.0 | +0.0 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Matthew Knight | 427 | 0.8 | +0.8 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Jacob Gowor | 318 | 0.6 | +0.6 |
| | Federation | Jason Potter | 446 | 0.8 | +0.8 |
| | Federation | Scott Sandford | 148 | 0.3 | +0.3 |
| Total formal votes | Total formal votes | Total formal votes | 55,413 | 98.2 | +1.1 |
| Informal votes | Informal votes | Informal votes | 1,005 | 1.8 | −1.1 |
| Turnout | Turnout | Turnout | 56,418 | 90.7 | +0.7 |
| Party total votes ||||||
| | Labor | Labor | 22,560 | 40.7 | +7.1 |
| | Liberal | Liberal | 21,290 | 38.4 | −3.4 |
| | Greens | Greens | 5,985 | 10.8 | +5.7 |
| | Shooters, Fishers, Farmers | Shooters, Fishers, Farmers | 1,727 | 3.1 | +3.1 |
| | Sustainable Australia | Sustainable Australia | 1,277 | 2.3 | +0.8 |
| | Animal Justice | Animal Justice | 1,235 | 2.2 | −0.1 |
| | Liberal Democrats | Liberal Democrats | 745 | 1.3 | −1.2 |
| | Federation | Federation | 594 | 1.1 | +1.1 |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | +3.5 | |
| | Labor hold | Labor hold | Swing | +3.1 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.6 | |
| | Liberal hold | Liberal hold | Swing | +0.7 | |
| | Greens gain from Liberal | Greens gain from Liberal | Swing | +4.0 | |