Division of Banks

Banks Australian House of Representatives Division
300px Division of Banks (green) in New South Wales
Created	1949
MP	David Coleman
Party	Liberal
Namesake	Sir Joseph Banks
Electors	101,500 (2013)
Area	49 km2 (18.9 sq mi)
Demographic	Inner Metropolitan

The Division of Banks is an Australian electoral division in the state of New South Wales. The division was created in 1949 and is named for Sir Joseph Banks, the British scientist who accompanied James Cook on his voyage to Australia in 1770. It has always been based in the south-western suburbs of Sydney, including the suburbs of Padstow, Panania, Peakhurst and Revesby.

The division includes the suburbs of Allawah, Blakehurst, Connells Point, Hurstville, Hurstville Grove, South Hurstville, Kyle Bay, Lugarno, Mortdale, Oatley, Padstow Heights, Peakhurst, Peakhurst Heights, and Penshurst, and parts of Bankstown, Beverly Hills, Carlton, Kingsgrove, Narwee, Padstow, Punchbowl, Revesby and Riverwood.

The current Member for Banks, since the 2013 federal election, is David Coleman, a member of the Liberal Party of Australia.

History

Up until 2013, it was held since its creation by the Australian Labor Party, but has grown increasingly marginal from the 1990s onward. It was almost lost in 2004, but the 2006 redistribution added areas to the west in Bankstown and Condell Park which strengthened the seat for Labor. These areas were lost in the 2009 redistribution, which pushed Banks into new areas in the east, around Hurstville. Long-term Labor member, Daryl Melham, was defeated at the 2013 federal election by David Coleman. Coleman became the first ever Liberal and non-Labor member of the seat, breaking a 64-year tradition.

Members

Member		Party	Term
	Dominic Costa	Labor	1949–1969
	Vince Martin	Labor	1969–1980
	John Mountford	Labor	1980–1990
	Daryl Melham	Labor	1990–2013
	David Coleman	Liberal	2013–present

Election results

Main article: Electoral results for the Division of Banks

Australian federal election, 2013: Banks

Party		Candidate	Votes	%	±%
	Liberal	David Coleman	39,899	47.01	+1.49
	Labor	Daryl Melham	34,835	41.04	−1.92
	Greens	Paul Spight	4,242	5.00	−4.61
	Palmer United	Jake Wellham	2,125	2.50	+2.50
	Christian Democrats	Mark Falanga	1,983	2.34	+2.34
	Independent	Sayed Khedr	768	0.90	+0.90
	Katter's Australian	Ross Richardson	553	0.65	+0.65
	Democratic Labour	Robert Haddad	470	0.55	+0.55
Total formal votes			84,875	90.05	−1.58
Informal votes			9,374	9.95	+1.58
Turnout			94,249	92.86	+0.16
Two-party-preferred result
	Liberal	David Coleman	43,990	51.83	+3.28
	Labor	Daryl Melham	40,885	48.17	−3.28
	Liberal gain from Labor		Swing	+3.28

External links

• Division of Banks - Australian Electoral Commission