Bega
New South Wales—Legislative Assembly
Interactive map of district boundaries from the 2023 state election
StateNew South Wales
Dates current1894–1920
1988–present
MPMichael Holland
PartyLabor
NamesakeBega, New South Wales
Electors58,131 (2019)
Area9,785.02 km2 (3,778.0 sq mi)
DemographicRural
Electorates around Bega:
Monaro South Coast Pacific Ocean
Monaro Bega Pacific Ocean
Gippsland
(VIC)		 Gippsland
(VIC)		 Pacific Ocean

Bega is an electoral district of the Legislative Assembly in the Australian state of New South Wales. It is represented by Michael Holland of the Labor Party.

Bega is a regional electorate in the southeastern corner of the state. It encompasses the entirety of Bega Valley Shire and Eurobodalla Shire. Its population centres include Bega, Tathra, Merimbula, Eden, Bemboka, Eurobodalla Shire, Moruya, Batemans Bay and Narooma.[1][2][3][4]

History

In 1894, single-member electorates were introduced statewide and the two-member electorate of Eden was split into Bega and Eden–Bombala. In 1904 Eden-Bombala was abolished as a result of the 1903 New South Wales referendum which reduced the number of members of the Legislative Assembly from 125 to 90 and part of the district was absorbed by Bega.[5] In 1920, with the introduction of proportional representation, it was absorbed into Goulburn, along with Monaro. It was recreated in 1988.

Bega has historically tended to be a safe conservative seat, although demographic change has led to the seat becoming increasingly marginal for the Liberal Party for much of the early part of the 21st century. The Liberal margin blew out in their 2011 landslide, along with many other Liberal-held country seats. Despite the Liberals suffering a 10-point swing against them in 2015, they retained it and did so again in 2019.

Following the decision of the incumbent member Andrew Constance to resign in order to run in Gilmore at the 2022 Federal Election, a by-election was held in 2022 which saw Labor's Michael Holland win the seat with a substantial 14-point swing. This was the first time Labor had won Bega. Holland consolidated his hold on the seat at the 2023 state election, turning Bega into a safe Labor seat in one stroke.

Members for Bega

First incarnation (1894–1920)

MemberPartyPeriod
  Thomas Rawlinson [6] Ind. Protectionist 1894–1895
  Henry Clarke [7] Ind. Protectionist 1895–1898
  Protectionist 1898–1901
  Progressive 1901–1904
  William Wood [8] Liberal Reform 1904–1913
  William Millard [9] Liberal Reform 1913–1916
  Nationalist 1916–1920
 

Second incarnation (1988–present)

MemberPartyPeriod
  Russell Smith [10] Liberal 1988–2003
  Andrew Constance [11] Liberal 2003–2021
  Michael Holland[12] Labor 2022–present

Election results

This section is an excerpt from Results of the 2023 New South Wales state election (Legislative Assembly) § Bega.[edit]
2023 New South Wales state election: Bega[13][14]
Party Candidate Votes % ±%
Labor Michael Holland 23,294 45.07 +14.48
Liberal Russell Fitzpatrick 16,268 31.48 −17.43
Greens Cathy Griff 4,322 8.36 −1.39
Shooters, Fishers, Farmers Debra Abbott 3,802 7.36 +0.90
Legalise Cannabis Greg White 2,043 3.95 +3.95
Independent Jeffrey Hawkins 1,199 2.32 +2.32
Sustainable Australia Karin Geiselhart 756 1.46 +1.46
Total formal votes 51,684 97.19 +0.01
Informal votes 1,495 2.81 −0.01
Turnout 53,179 88.99 −0.76
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Michael Holland 27,835 60.40 +17.33
Liberal Russell Fitzpatrick 18,248 39.60 −17.33
Labor gain from Liberal Swing+17.33
Andrew Constance (Liberal) had won the seat at the 2019 state election, however he resigned in 2021 and Michael Holland (Labor) won the seat at the resulting by-election. At the 2023 state election, Holland retained the seat he won at the by-election.

References

  1. ↑ "Bega". New South Wales Electoral Commission. Retrieved 23 November 2019.
  2. ↑ "Part 5B alphabetical list of all electorates and Members since 1856" (PDF). NSW Parliamentary Record. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  3. ↑ "Former Members". Members of Parliament. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 16 November 2020.
  4. ↑ Green, Antony. "Elections for the District of Bega". New South Wales Election Results 1856-2007. Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 8 September 2019.
  5. ↑ "1904 Redistribution". Atlas of New South Wales. NSW Land & Property Information. Archived from the original on 23 June 2015.
  6. ↑ "Mr Thomas Rawlinson (1847-1928)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 23 June 2019.
  7. ↑ "Mr Henry Clarke (1822-1907)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 11 May 2019.
  8. ↑ "The Hon. William Herbert Wood (1869-1953)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  9. ↑ "Mr William Millard (1844–1921)". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 26 June 2019.
  10. ↑ "Russell Harold Lester Smith (1946- )". Former members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 26 September 2019.
  11. ↑ "The Hon. Andrew James Constance MP". Members of the Parliament of New South Wales. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  12. ↑ "As it happened: Labor wins Bega by-election, plunging NSW government further into minority".
  13. ↑ LA First Preference: Bega, NSW State Election Results 2023, NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
  14. ↑ LA Two Candidate Preferred: Bega, NSW State Election Results 2023, NSW Electoral Commission. Retrieved 13 April 2023.
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