New England could have boundaries redrawn in redistribution

"It's helping people deal with departments," Mr Joyce said of his role as MP for the approximate 20 main towns in the NSW region he represents.

"You're the last hope Obi Wan Kenobi for so many issues for constituents."

Mr Joyce said "there's a strong likelihood" he could lose Inverell and Gwydir but gain Gunnedah and Muswellbrook in the upcoming Australian Electorate Commission's (AEC) seven-year redrawing of electorate boundaries.

"But we'll wait and see. I'm really happy for the area I represent. But if I get the responsibility to represent other areas, then I'll do that to the best of my ability," Mr Joyce said.

Mr Joyce said if he loses Inverell and Gwydir, then he hopes the next person continues projects such as: mobile phone towers; the upgrading, sealing and reconnecting of roads; Inland Rail through the North West; the $25m pool upgrade in Inverell, and others.

The New England electorate's boundaries were last re-drawn in 2016, and are expected to get a reshuffle as AEC state commissioners divvy-up NSW, Victoria, WA and NT to ensure each seat has an equal number of electors - give or take about 10 per cent.

It is expected that a NSW seat in Sydney and a Victorian seat in Melbourne will vanish, while Western Australia will gain an electorate, according to the Australian Parliament House (APH) website basing their population projections on the 2021 Census.

This means there is likely to be 150, instead of the current 151, federal MPs in the 48^th Australian parliament expected in 2025, with NSW dropping down to 46 seats, Victoria to 38, and WA increasing to 16 electorates.

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Residents in the New England region have until 6pm on Friday, October 27, to get their suggestions into the AEC website about where they think the electorate's boundaries should be.

Those suggestions will then be published on the AEC website from Monday, October 30, with further public suggestions, objections or comments available for submission until November 10.

The newly proposed boundaries will then be published on the AEC website for the public to review in early-to-mid-2024, with further public input allowed before the four-member Redistribution Committee makes a final decision later in 2024.

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