More than 114,000 Tasmanians, or about one in four voters, will find themselves in a new federal electorate at the next election under a major boundary redistribution announced by the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on Wednesday. The changes, described by the AEC as the most significant in recent memory, will see substantial shifts in the state’s southern electorates.

For residents on the Eastern Shore, the division of Franklin will be dramatically reshaped. The AEC has confirmed Franklin will no longer include areas south of Hobart across the Derwent River, such as the Huon Valley and Kingborough. Instead, the electorate will be consolidated on the eastern side of the river, becoming a south-east coast focused seat.

Under the new map, the reconfigured Franklin will gain the local government areas of Brighton, Glamorgan Spring Bay, Sorell, and Tasman, as well as the remainder of the Clarence City Council area, including the Richmond locality. The AEC said these changes address the long-standing issue of Franklin being the only non-contiguous federal electorate in Australia, with its two halves previously separated by the division of Clark.

In a statement, Electoral Commissioner Jeff Pope said the new boundaries create a “fulsome re-drawing of the electoral map for Tasmania’s south” that better aligns communities of interest and meets numerical requirements.

Alongside the boundary changes, the AEC has proposed renaming the division of Franklin to Tongerlongeter. The commission said the new name would honour Tongerlongeter, a recognised leader of the Oyster Bay nation whose country covers much of the newly configured electorate. The public has been invited to provide written feedback on the proposed name change until 21 July 2026, the AEC announced.

Elsewhere in the state, the division of Clark will expand south to absorb the Huon Valley and the rest of Kingborough from Franklin. Lyons will gain the Glenorchy local government area, while Bass, in the north-east, will now include the Break O’Day local government area. The western electorate of Braddon is the only division to remain unchanged.

The full report and maps will be formally determined on 8 October 2026, according to the AEC. The original announcement can be found on the Australian Electoral Commission website.