Parties eye NW electorates

Newman and the Shire of Ashburton are the flavour of the month for local politicians, with major parties jockeying for movement in State electoral boundary redraws.

The WA National and Liberal parties have both made submissions to extend the North West Central electorate's footprint in the Pilbara by including Newman within its boundaries.

Member for North West Central Vince Catania said the Opposition and Greens' submissions would leave regional WA worse off.

"Both these parties' suggestions affect the Mining and Pastoral Region, which takes in almost 2.3 million sqkm and is presently represented by only five Legislative Assembly Members of Parliament," he said.

"To suggest a reduction in the level of political representation for electors living in that region is simply absurd."

Mr Catania's seat would be made redundant under one of the Opposition's submissions.

The State Electoral Commission noted in its preliminary observations the number of country seats needed to be discussed given the increasing disparity between country and metropolitan electors.

Labor MP Stephen Dawson said while it would be disappointing for regional WA to lose a seat, bringing the Shire of Ashburton into the Pilbara seat would lead to better representation.

"I would like to see more politicians in my region rather than less, but if we don't have the population it's not fair," he said.

"It's a bit of an anomaly that the Shire of Ashburton, a Pilbara council, doesn't fit in with the rest of the Pilbara.

"If changes need to happen to regional WA, this one makes sense."

Pilbara Liberal member George Levissianos made two submissions, one of which was for the Pilbara to be divided into two seats - a Town of Port Hedland and East Pilbara seat, and a City of Karratha and Shire of Ashburton seat - despite both falling below the voter threshold.