FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Tim Fischer's hometown polling booth for two decades at Boree Creek has officially been abolished.
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The upcoming Federation Council election in September was the last remaining hope for the Boree Creek booth to remain in existence after being scrapped for the recent federal and NSW elections.
But a recommendation by the NSW Electoral Commission for Boree Creek not be used for the historic Federation election due to ongoing low and declining voter numbers was agreed to by administrator Mike Eden this week.
Boree Creek was formerly in the Urana Shire which merged with Corowa last year to form Federation.
Mr Fischer entered politics in the NSW Government in 1971 and up until his retirement as the federal member for Farrer in 2001 he always voted at Boree Creek before moving onto other centres to successfully woo voters.
"I had decades of loyal support from Boree Creek," he said.
"I'm sorry to see this happen, but I still have a soft spot for Boree Creek and was back there at Easter and hope to be out there again on Anzac Day."
But Boree Creek residents won't have the option of voting at Lockhart for the local government election as they did for the recent federal and state polls.
Lockhart is closer to Boree Creek than Urana.
More than half of the dwindling number of Boree Creek voters are now registered postal voters.
The minimum cost to operate a venue which accepts less than 100 votes will be more than $2000 with the council to foot the bill for an election.
In 2012, elections weren't required in Corowa Shire and there was only an election in one of Urana Shire's three wards.
Federation Council will be undivided with no wards when voters go to the polls in September.
Balldale's polling booth has also been abolished for similar reasons to Boree Creek.
Former Corowa mayor Fred Longmire lives at Balldale which is located near the eastern boundary of Federation and Greater Hume councils.
"There will be some people unhappy with the decision, but sometimes these things are inevitable," he said.
"It still brings no joy."