Angela4Council

07/05/2026

24/04/2026

25th April 2026 Anzac Day

Anzac Day is a day of remembrance in Australia, New Zealand and Tonga which commemorates Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) soldiers who landed at Gallipoli in WW1 and more broadly honours the contribution and suffering of all Australians, New Zealanders and Tongans who have served and died in wars, conflicts, emergency and disaster relief and peacekeeping operations.

Thinking of conflicts and suffering on this day at a time in history when the total number of individual conflicts around the world is at a record high, civilian casualties are escalating and in remembrance of family members that have served.

My paternal grandfather, Francis James Offord (not pictured), served with 2/3rd Australian Pioneer Battalion deployed to the Middle East and Borneo WW2.

My maternal grandfather, Lesley Rogerson, served with the RAAF deployed to New Guinea and his brother, Ken Rogerson deployed to New Guinea in WW2.

My great uncles, my maternal grandmother’s brothers both served.
Horace “Horrie” John Barker (1919-45), Corporal 26th Infantry Battalion killed in action in PNG and buried at Port Moresby.
Raymond “Ray” Edward Barker, Flight Lieutenant R.A.A.F.

My great grandfather, Sidney (Sid) Rogerson, deployed to France WW1.

Beautiful dawn service at Longford at the Village Green this morning followed by a convivial breakfast at Longford RSL Memorial Club.

Thank you.

Lest We Forget

10/04/2026

Please find my second submission on the ideas to the proposed changes to the federal electorates in Tasmania.

This submission is not about boundary or electorate name changes rather the very short timelines we have had for submissions and will have for public consultation on these very important and complex changes proposed that have the potential to affect 30% of electors in Tasmania.

I would love to hear your thoughts.

This submission is feedback on ideas about the short timeframes of the redistribution process and might be best classified as about “other”.

I understand that timeframes differ due to the nature of the issue being addressed, legal and regulatory requirements, stakeholder engagement, and government policy.
While differing timeframes for public consultation and submissions allow for flexibility and tailored engagement strategies, they also present challenges related to consistency, participation, and the overall quality of public involvement in decision-making processes in addition to having an affect on the quality and sustainability of any decisions made.

The proposed redistribution is complex, involving significant change, and the principle of due process should apply.
A complex issue of this nature requires full consultation, substantial background research and analysis to fully understand the issues and in order to make the best decision possible based on all of the available information at the time.

If we don’t allocate sufficient time to consult and analyse the proposed redistribution of federal Tasmanian electorates we risk:

1. Inadequate Stakeholder Input:

The proposed redistribution demands a longer submission and consultation periods to adequately engage a diverse range of stakeholders, including community groups, individuals, councils and experts.
Stakeholders may feel overwhelmed or unable to respond meaningfully when given short timeframes to respond, resulting in lower participation rates and limited diversity of perspectives.
Short timeframes risk excluding marginalised voices.
Individuals or groups who may need more time to engage for eg underrepresented communities and those with limited access to resources, may find it especially challenging to contribute or respond in short timeframes, further exacerbating inequities.
Longer timelines can help streamline stakeholder engagement ensuring ample time for thorough assessment and consideration of all perspectives.
We want to encourage broader community engagement and participation through extended timeframes giving diverse voices an opportunity to contribute meaningfully to the process.

2. Overlooked Concerns:

A condensed timeframe can lead to important issues, concerns, or objections being overlooked.
Stakeholders may not have time to identify and articulate critical points, which may result in decisions that fail to account for significant risks or implications.

3. Potential for Miscommunication:

The complexity of the proposed changes involves intricate technical numerical details and legal requirements.
The short timeframe may lead to a misunderstanding or misinterpretation of the proposal and insufficient time to examine alternative proposals.

4. Compromised Thoroughness:

This short period may pressure decision makers (the Commission) to expedite their review and analysis of submissions, potentially sacrificing thorough analysis and thoughtful responses to stakeholder concerns.
The thoroughness with which the feedback should be considered could be compromised, leading to hasty decisions that lack adequate scrutiny.

5. Public Trust and Credibility:

When consultation periods are perceived as too rushed or superficial, stakeholders may lose trust in the decision making process. This can lead to skepticism about the government’s commitment to transparency and genuine engagement, harming the credibility of this and future consultations.

6. Reduced Quality of Feedback:

Limited timeframes may result in feedback that is less considered or less well-articulated. Quick responses may lack the depth and rigorousness that is necessary to inform sound decision-making, this in turn can lead to less effective outcomes.
Stakeholders may not have sufficient time to review materials, conduct necessary research, or organise their response.
Potential for oversight- important information or concerns might be overlooked, resulting in decisions that do not fully reflect community needs or interests.

7. Risk of Policy Repercussions:

The decisions made here without adequate consultation may face backlash from the community or stakeholders post implementation.
If the concerns raised in this round of ideas submissions are not addressed there is the potential for significant dissent or pushback against any changes that are enacted.

8. Failure to Build Consensus:

Deliberative effective decision making takes time. The aim is to foster dialogue and understanding among all stakeholders, which can lead to greater consensus on issues.
Shorter periods forgo this process and result in polarised views pertaining and a lack of collaborative agreed solutions.

9. Public Confusion

A disparity in timelines can create confusion among the public regarding when input is needed and may discourage or prevent participation. The variation in timeframes can lead to perceptions of inconsistency or inequity in how public consultations are conducted, potentially undermining public trust in the government’s commitment to genuine engagement.

In summary, while expediency may be necessary in some situations, short consultation periods for complex issues involving big change, as is the case for this proposed federal electorate boundary redistribution, may undermine the integrity of the engagement process and result in poorly informed decisions that do not adequately reflect stakeholder needs and concerns.
Balancing timeliness with thoroughness is critical for achieving meaningful public participation and effective decision making.
I trust the Commission will take the requisite time necessary to thoroughly review all of the ideas submissions and ideas on the ideas submissions thus far in order to make the changes that best serve the people going forward.

08/04/2026

It is not too late to have your say on the proposed redistribution of federal electorates in Tasmania.

The proposed redistribution will affect a significant number of electors.

Feedback on ideas to proposed changes close 6 pm Friday 10th April.

A public consultation session will be held after submissions have closed.
Date(s) to be advised.

Determination of final electorates will be made Thursday 8th October 2026.

My feedback on ideas as follows:

Thank you for the opportunity to provide feedback on ideas to the proposed redistribution of federal Tasmanian electorates.

I have read and analysed all of the 95 ideas submissions*

This submission addresses the proposed transfer of Glenorchy City Council (GCC) from the electorate of Clark to the electorate of Lyons, assessing concerns raised by the proposed distribution of areas and their associated communities of interest.
I note that there are many good ideas and suggestions for solutions contained within the submissions.

Key arguments against the inclusion of GCC in Lyons.

1. Community of Interest Misalignment:

Glenorchy has a strong urban identity tied to Greater Hobart, characterised by significant economic, social, transport connections, physical contiguity and shared projects and activities.
Conversely the Lyons electorate primarily represents rural and regional communities of the Derwent Valley, Brighton, Midlands, Meander, Central Highlands, Break O'Day and Kentish making the inclusion of Glenorchy into Lyons, rather than keeping it in Clarke, an aberration.

2. Demographics and the potential for Representational Inequality:

The proposed change would have approximately a third of the electors in Lyons in GCC, transforming Lyons into a more urban-centric electorate focused on northern Hobart and far removed from its historical predominantly rural regional character.
This risks diminishing the representation of rural and regional electors and skewing the policy priorities of elected representatives away from rural and regional communities to an urban community with the potential to adversely affect policy decisions that are meant to equitably serve whole community experience and views.

3. Fragmentation of Communities of Interest:

Splitting urban Hobart and greater Hobart into three electorates and transferring GCC into a predominantly rural and regional electorate risks fragmenting existing cohesive communities of interest and unnecessarily disrupting established service delivery, infrastructure planning and community engagement.

4. Electoral Cohesion:

Many residents of Glenorchy travel south, very short distances, to Hobart CBD for work, education and services. This pattern of movement signifies a cohesive metropolitan zone shared between Glenorchy and Hobart.
In contrast the remaining areas in Lyons interact with the regional hubs of Brighton in the south and Sheffield, Longford and Launceston in the north west and north of the state. The Lyons electorate will lack cohesion.

5. Statistical Support for Opposition:

My analysis of the data * demonstrates that a statistically significant majority (69%), of the submissions addressing the incorporation of GCC into Lyons, are in opposition to the move. Submissions from LGAs naturally should carry more weight than individual submissions as councils are the closest level of government to the people, representing the people in their local government areas and making decisions based the greater present and future good.
This statistic underscores strong community sentiment against the proposed change, calling for respect for the will of the people in electoral decisions in our democratic system of governance in Australia.

6. Erosion of Local Identity:

The unique identity and characteristics of rural and regional areas of Lyons may be overshadowed by the concentrated urban context of GCC, leading to policies and initiatives that do not equally consider the rural and regional community experience or the realities faced by them.
This in turn may cause significant disenfranchise.

7. Increased Complexity for Our Representatives:

Our elected representatives may struggle to effectively balance urban and rural interests, leading to a representation that does not adequately address either community.

As a resident of the Lyons electorate, I believe that maintaining the rural and regional identity of the electorate of Lyons and ensuring voices are heard and best represented is crucial.
Including urban areas like Glenorchy within the electoral boundaries of Lyons could lead to a disconnect that ultimately undermines the representation and advocacy that our community deserves.

Alternative suggestions summarised for the Committee to consider:

1. The retention of GCC within Clark where community interests align more closely with metropolitan dynamics

2. The retention of Brighton Council within Lyons reinforcing its historical alignment with rural communities, and the continuation of well established regional service delivery, which would preserve better representation for both rural and urban constituents without unnecessary disruptions at the same time retaining the contiguity of Lyons.

3. The inclusion of Derwent Valley Council within the electorate of Clark

Conclusion:

The proposed transfer of GCC into the Lyons electorate lacks coherence with established communities of interest and presents significant risks to equitable effective representation for rural, regional and semi-urban electors alike.
It could lead to a significant disconnect between electors and their representatives, undermine effective governance, and lead to unequal resource allocation and the inability to balance diverse community needs.
Retaining Glenorchy within the electorate of Clark and Brighton in Lyons reflects the natural alignment of urban and regional communities and should safeguard and reinforce the communities of interest fundamental to effective governance and democratic representation in Tasmania.

* 95 ideas submissions
Three doubled up, one withdrawn and two “other” making 89 pertinent ideas submissions
32/89 ideas submissions concerned with electorate boundaries
39/89 ideas submissions concerned with electorate names
18/89 ideas submissions concerned with electorate boundaries and names

24/32 opposed movement GCC into Lyons
4 ideas didn't address the issue making 24/28 or 85% opposed

8/18 opposed movement GCC into Lyons
3 ideas didn't address the issue making 8/15 or 53% opposed movement GCC

On average 69% ideas submissions addressing the movement of GCC into Lyons oppose the move.

02/04/2026

It is not too late to Have Your Say to the ideas/submissions on the proposed redistribution and renaming of federal Tasmanian electorates.

Written feedback on ideas to the proposed redistribution can be submitted until 6 pm AEST Friday 10 April 2026.

All 95 submissions are available to view at the above link.
Set aside a few hours to read them all. 🙂 I am up to #50.
There are some great suggestions contained within and a majority disagree with incorporating Glenorchy City into Lyons which is my major concern.

A redistribution is a redrawing of electoral boundaries to ensure each state and territory gains representation in the House of Representatives in proportion to their population, and that there are a similar number of electors in each electorate for a given state or territory.

01/04/2026

Below you will find my submission feedback/ideas on the proposed redistribution of FEDERAL electoral boundaries Tasmania.

The proposed changes will affect many people in 4 out of the 5 federal electorates in Tasmania.

It is not too late to have your say and I encourage everyone who has an interest to do so.

BACKGROUND:

A redistribution of federal electoral boundaries occurs to ensure each electorate has roughly the same number of voters and satisfies other criteria such as communities of interest, existing boundaries (local government areas (LGA)/council boundaries being one eg), contiguity, and electorates having an urban centre.

A redistribution of federal electorate boundaries in Tasmania is being undertaken at the moment.
There are 3 stages in this process and we are up to stage 2.

It is not too late to have your say and I encourage everyone who has an interest to do so.

The proposed redistribution will affect the federal electorates of Lyons, Bass, Franklin and Clarke.
N.B. Lyons includes 12 out of the 29 LGAs in Tasmania and this number will be reduced to 7 with the proposed redistribution.

The Northern Midlands Council, Southern Midlands Council and Derwent Valley Council will still be included in Lyons.
Lyons will lose Brighton, Sorell, Glamorgan Spring Bay and the Tasman LGAs and the part of Clarence LGA Richmond is in.

SUBMISSION:

I support the electorate of Bass gaining the localities of the south-western suburbs of Launceston; Blackstone Heights and Prospect Vale, from the electorate of Lyons because these communities physically align closest to Launceston/Bass and associated urban, economic and service networks.
You could apply the same reasoning to argue the case for Bass to gain Hadspen (close by) from Lyons.

I support the electorate of Franklin gaining the local government areas (LGAs) of Brighton, Glamorgan Spring Bay, Sorell and the Tasman Peninsula from Lyons as this does strengthen south-eastern coherence and contiguity in addition to reducing the geographical size of the Lyons electorate (the largest by far in Tasmania and a challenge for elected representatives to physically navigate).

I understand that with the above changes Lyons has to gain electoral numbers to maintain equity but I do not support the proposed transfer of Glenorchy City LGA into Lyons for this reason because the communities of interest (economic, social service and transport connections) of Glenorchy City LGA are more closely aligned to Hobart greater urban area of which it is part (currently Clarke), than the rest of Lyons which will be 100% regional/rural.
It does not make practical sense and only further adds to the challenge and complexity this poses for elected representatives of Lyons to be able to best represent the interests of all of the communities of Lyons.
Glenorchy City LGA is one of the fasted growing LGAs in Tasmania and has evolved from its early rural/regional roots to being an amalgamation of three CBD and industrial areas.
The proposed change would mean that nearly a third of the electors of Lyons, in what is essentially central Tasmania, would now be in the GC LGA making the rural/regional Lyons electorate Hobart southern Tasmania centric profoundly changing the make up of Lyons as it currently stands.
The proposed change would also make southern Lyons non contiguous given that Brighton will now be in Franklin (I appreciate that the Derwent Valley and Glenorchy are connected/contiguous the longer route around the River Derwent).

In conclusion I don’t have a solution for solving the numerical parameters and I appreciate that the change would satisfy the criteria of an urban centre being a part of each electorate but I do feel that this significant proposed change deserves more attention and consideration given the concerns flagged above.

Kind regards
Dr Angela Offord (veterinarian)
Independent candidate for Lyons in three elections.

20/03/2026

LIKE you, I am fortunate to call Lutruwita/Tasmania home. Fortunate because this beautiful island is peaceful and safe and there is  amongst the people that live here a strong sense of community, connectedness, resilience and a “can do” attitude. Fortunate because we have a representative syste...

16/03/2026

I am very excited to announce that I will be standing as an independent councillor for Northern Midlands Council in the upcoming Tasmanian council elections October 2026!

As an independent candidate I will not be influenced by party ideology and vested interests and will prioritise the needs of the community.

I promise to work hard and represent the people of the Northern Midlands local council area in a considered, open and transparent manner.

I will work collaboratively with all elected councillors to deliver the best solutions for people, animals and the environment.

Come and have a chat at the pink marquee Evandale Market every Sunday.

To stay updated on the campaign please like and follow this page and feel free to reach out with your thoughts and ideas.

If you would like to help letterbox dropping or hosting a corflute in a high traffic area contact me:

w angelaofford.com.au (updating)
m 0429 835 321
e [email protected]

16/03/2026

I am very excited to announce that I will be standing as an independent councillor for Northern Midlands Council in the upcoming Tasmanian council elections October 2026!

As an independent candidate I will not be influenced by party ideology and vested interests and will prioritise the needs of the community.

I promise to work hard and represent the people of the Northern Midlands local council area in a considered, open and transparent manner.

I will work collaboratively with all elected councillors to deliver the best solutions for people, animals and the environment.

Come and have a chat at the pink marquee Evandale Market every Sunday.

To stay updated on the campaign please like and follow this page and feel free to reach out with your thoughts and ideas.

If you would like to help letterbox dropping or hosting a corflute in a high traffic area contact me:

w angelaofford.com.au (updating)
m 0429 835 321
e [email protected]

I am your independent candidate for LYONS - working for you- NOT working for a Party or vested interests!

04/08/2025

Declaration of the Poll

10:30am on Tuesday 5 August 2025 at the Parliament House, 1 Salamanca Place, Hobart 7000.

The declaration of the poll is a short ceremony at which the Returning Officer announces the successful
candidates, and then invites all candidates to address the meeting.

In lieu of being able to attend and listen to all of the candidates as part of the end of our democratic electoral process for the 2025 Tasmanian House of Assembly election I will post a short address here:

A heartfelt congratulations to the TEC in conducting a successful election at short notice.
We are so very fortunate to live in a safe and democratic country with robust electoral systems and we should never take this for granted.

The public have spoken and the number of Liberal 14, Labor 10 and Greens 5 members of parliament remain the same as in the last Tasmanian parliament.
A SFF member has been elected for the first time (to the Tasmanian parliament) and there are five independents.
With no one party with a majority Tasmanians have elected a minority government once again.
It remains unclear as to who will form government.

Parliamentarians will need to find a way to work collaboratively for the best outcomes for Tasmanians and Tasmania.

Congratulations to all candidates for standing and campaigning.
It does require commitment and perseverance and a good deal of resilence and effort and I commend you all elected or not.

Thank you to everyone who helped in every way to my campaign.
I remain delightfully humbled by a growing community of support and will continue to campaign for budget repair, health care and education system reform, housing solutions, greater integrity and transparency in government, collaborative decision making and improved animal health and welfare and environmental outcomes.

Looking forward to seeing a collaborative, forward thinking visionary parliament taking action to tackle some of the complex and difficult issues so that we can continue to live well in and care for this very precious place Tasmania.

23/07/2025

The 48th Federal Parliament opened on Tuesday 22 July 2025 following the federal election which was held on 3rd May 2025.

Meanwhile, counting for the Tasmanian state election, on 19th July 2025, continues to see who will form the Tasmanian state parliament.
Provisional results are published on the TEC website.
Postal votes will be received up until 10 am on Tuesday 29th July.
A full distribution of preferences will then begin and may take several days to complete.
A big thank you to those who have voted for me -I am greatful and humbled by the result so far which is a 400% increase on 2024 numbers.

The voting system in the Tasmanian state election is known as the Hare- Clark proportional representation system.

Hare-Clark enables parties, groups and independents to be elected to the House of Assembly in proportion to their support in the division.

Hare-Clark is a Single Transferable Vote (STV) method of proportional representation. STV means that a ballot paper moves between candidates as determined by the elector’s marked preferences.

To be counted as a vote a ballot paper must have at least the numbers 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 7 with no repetitions or omissions.
Ballot papers with ticks or crosses, instead of numbers, will not be counted.

How is a candidate elected?

A candidate is elected when their total number of votes equals or exceeds the quota. The quota is the lowest number of votes a candidate needs to be certain of being elected.

The counting process:

The first step is to count the number of first preference “1” votes for each candidate. All candidates that have reached the quota with first preferences are declared elected after “count 1” and withdrawn from the counting process before “count 2” commences.

All votes received by an elected candidate in excess of the quota (the surplus) will be distributed to the continuing candidates according to the preferences indicated on each ballot paper.

As each division has at least one candidate that will receive more than a quota of first preference votes, on Monday 28th the Returning Officers will commence preparations for Count 2 of the Hare-Clark distribution, by physically distributing the surplus of the candidate elected with the highest number of ballot papers.



Bass – surplus of Bridget Archer

Braddon – surplus of Jeremy Rockliff

Clark – surplus of Kristie Johnston

Franklin – surplus of Peter George

Lyons – surplus of Guy Barnett

Once all surpluses have been distributed, the candidate with the fewest total votes is declared excluded, withdrawn from the counting process and all of their ballot papers will be redistributed to continuing candidates.

The deadline for return of postal votes is 10 am on Tuesday. Any final ballot papers received by that time will be included in the count and added to first preference totals. A final update of first preferences will be posted to the TEC website once that process is complete.

From Tuesday afternoon, the full Hare-Clark distribution of preferences will commence.
Updates will be posted on the TEC website throughout the week as candidates are elected or excluded.

This process will continue until all seven members are elected in each division, which is expected by Saturday 2 August.