Broken Hill, a traditional Labor stronghold, was added to the Farrer electorate in 2007. The party has proposed it be shifted to the Parkes electorate, a safe National Party seat held by Mark Coulton.

The addition of Broken Hill to Farrer has made it one of the largest electorates in Australia; it comprises 247,097 square kilometres stretching from the southern Riverina, west to the South Australian border and up to Broken Hill.

Labor is proposing Griffith, Leeton, Narrandera and Tumbarumba be included in Farrer. All four centres are now in the Riverina electorate held by another National MP and former newspaper editor Michael McCormack.

Labor’s proposed changes would push the Farrer electorate enrolments above the projected quota to 107,097.

Farrer is held by Liberal front-bencher Sussan Ley and her party has also proposed some major changes to address the population quota.

The Liberals want the entire local government areas of Tumut and Tumbarumba switched from Riverina to Farrer, as well as the southern part of the Wagga Council area, including Kyeamba, Tarcutta, Uranquinty, Book Book and Mangoplah.

The loss of these areas to the Riverina electorate would be offset by the addition of Forbes, Parkes and Condobolin.

The Liberals want Broken Hill retained in Farrer.

The Nationals are pushing for Tumbarumba and Tumut to be added to Farrer, which would provide an enrolment boost of about 10,500 voters.

The community of interest for Tumbarumba and Tumut with Farrer’s largest population centre, Albury, includes the three centres playing in the same rugby league and rugby union competitions.

The enrolment quota for the redistribution of federal electoral boundaries in NSW is 103,431 persons with Farrer now sitting at 94,419.

Comments on the suggested boundary changes can be made on the AEC website until June 5.