Electoral district of Alfred Cove

Infobox Australian Electorate
name = Alfred Cove
state = wa


caption =
lifespan = 1996–present
mp = Janet Woollard
mp-party = Independent
namesake = Alfred Cove
area = 16
class = South Metropolitan

The Electoral district of Alfred Cove is a Legislative Assembly electorate in the state of Western Australia. The district is named for the southern riverside Perth suburb of Alfred Cove which falls within its borders.

History

Alfred Cove was created at the 1994 redistribution, created out of the northern riverside portions of the former seats of Applecross and part of Melville, [Gazette WA | title = Electoral Distributions Act 1947 - Division of the State into Six Electoral Regions and 57 Electoral Districts by the Electoral Distribution Commissioners | page = 1994:6135-6327 | date = 28 November 1994] and was first contested in the 1996 election at which Liberal member and Court government minister Doug Shave, who had previously represented Melville since the 1989 election, was successful. [cite book|last=Black|first=David|coauthors=Prescott, Valerie|title=Election statistics, Legislative Assembly of Western Australia, 1890-1996|year=1997|publisher=Parliamentary History Project and Western Australian Electoral Commission|location=Perth|id=ISBN 0-7309-8409-5|pages=10] Alfred Cove, and Applecross before it, was regarded as very safe for the Liberal Party, but an Independent Liberal, Penny Hearne, who had formerly represented the Liberals against Kim Beazley in Brand at the previous federal election, had cut Shave's margin to just over 2%.

As Minister for Fair Trading, Shave was criticised over his department's handling of the so-called finance brokers' scandal in 1999-2000, where thousands of elderly investors faced losses estimated at over AUD $200 million. In particular, Shave was accused of giving preferential treatment to his own father-in-law to recover $100,000. [cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s144409.htm|title=Finance brokers scandal hampers Court's re-election chances|date=27 June 2000|work=The 7.30 Report (ABC)|accessdate=2008-08-08] The electorate at the 2001 census, taken shortly after the elections, had a median age of 40 and 28.7% of its population were over 55 years of age, and hence was unusually affected by the consequences of the finance brokers' scandal. [Census 2001|id=SED50002|name=Alfred Cove (State Electoral District)|accessdate=2008-08-08] The candidates at the 2001 election included Denise Brailey, an advocate for the elderly investors, and Dr Janet Woollard, the wife of former Australian Medical Association president Dr Keith Woollard who had started the Liberals for Forests party. [cite news|url=http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s243984.htm|title=WA politicans desperate to capture voter attention in close election|work=The 7.30 Report (ABC)|date=8 February 2001|accessdate=2008-08-08] In the event, with Labor not contesting, each got over 20% of the vote, with Woollard winning on preferences when Brailey and the Greens were eliminated and their votes distributed. [cite web|url=http://www.waec.wa.gov.au/elections_wa/content/district_Alfred_Cove/polling_place_results.php|title=District of Alfred Cove Results|date=12 March 2001|author=Western Australian Electoral Commission|accessdate=2008-08-08]

Woollard faced a strong opponent at the 2005 election in Liberal candidate and former Court government minister Graham Kierath, who had unexpectedly lost his seat of Riverton on a 10% swing to the Labor Party. Despite Kierath winning on primary votes, Woollard once again won on preferences.

Geography

Alfred Cove is bounded by the Swan River to the north, the Canning River to the east, Point Walter Road to the west and various residential roads to the south. Its boundaries include the suburbs of Alfred Cove, Applecross, Ardross, Attadale, Mount Pleasant and parts of Bicton, Booragoon, Melville and Palmyra. [cite web|url=http://www.boundarieswa.com/2007/Final-Boundaries/South_Metropolitan/Alfred-Cove/|title=2007 Electoral Distribution - Final Boundaries - South Metropolitan - Alfred Cove|author=Western Australian Electoral Commission|date=29 October 2007|accessdate=2008-08-05] Major features within the electorate include Point Walter, Wireless Hill Park and Garden City shopping centre.

The 2007 redistribution, which took effect at the 2008 election, resulted in the seat losing most of Booragoon and Melville and all of Myaree. [cite web|url=http://www.boundarieswa.com/2003/Boundaries/South-Metropolitan/Alfred-Cove/|title=2003 Electoral Distribution - Final Boundaries - South Metropolitan - Alfred Cove|author=Western Australian Electoral Commission|date=4 August 2003|accessdate=2008-08-05]

Demographics

Alfred Cove is ranked amongst the highest electorates by socio-economic status in Western Australia according to the SEIFA indexes, with high scores on educational and employment opportunity. At the 2006 census, the median individual income in the Alfred Cove electorate, based on its 2005 boundaries, was $577 per week compared to $513 in the Perth metropolitan area, and the median weekly household income was $1,166 compared to $1,086 across Perth, although these figures did not reflect retirees with high asset bases. 46.2% of the working population were professionals or managers. 30.3% of Alfred Cove's residents were over 55—the highest percentage of any State electorate—and had a median age of 41 years [Census 2006 AUS|id=SED50205|name=Alfred Cove (South Metropolitan) (State Electoral Division)|accessdate=2008-08-05
* Census 2006 AUS|id=505|name=Perth (Statistical Division)|accessdate=2008-08-05]

Members for Alfred Cove

Election results

Election box begin
title=Western Australian state election, 2008: Alfred CoveElection box candidate AU party
candidate = Christopher Back
party = Liberal
votes = 8,628
percentage = 43.14
change = +5.20

Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Janet Woollard
party = Independent
votes = 5,094
percentage = 25.47
change = +1.51

Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Catherine Barratt
party = Labor
votes = 4,059
percentage = 20.29
change = -2.55

Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Michael Bennett
party = Greens WA
votes = 1,907
percentage = 9.53
change = +3.17

Election box candidate AU party
candidate = Stephen Wardell-Johnson
party = Christian Democrats
votes = 314
percentage = 1.57
change = -0.54

Election box formal
votes = 20,002
percentage = 95.96
change = -0.54

Election box informal
votes = 843
percentage = 4.04
change = +0.54

Election box turnout
votes = 20,845
percentage = 88.38
change = -3.47

Election box candidate AU party
party = Independent
candidate = Janet Woollard
votes = 10,200
percentage = 51.01
change = -3.56

Election box candidate AU party
party = Liberal
candidate = Christopher Back
votes = 9,795
percentage = 48.99
change = +3.56

Election box hold AU party
winner = Independent
swing = -3.56

ee also

* Alfred Cove, Western Australia

References

External links

* [http://www.abc.net.au/elections/wa/2005/guide/alfr.htm Electorate Profile] (Antony Green, ABC)