Three commissioners have been appointed to review Queensland’s electoral boundaries.
State Attorney-General Deb Frecklington said the review and redistribution of boundaries was required under the Electoral Act 1992, because 7.5 years had passed since the previous redistribution became final in 2017.
Attorney-General Frecklington said Gregory Koppenol would be the Judicial Chairperson of the Queensland Redistribution Commission (QRC) and would be joined by John Sosso, as a Commissioner, and Pat Vidgen, as the Electoral Commissioner.
She said Mr Koppenol had served with distinction as a Judge on the District Court from 2007 to 2020, as the inaugural President of the Land and Resources Tribunal, and as a member of the Land Court of Queensland.
“Mr Koppenol’s judicial service followed a distinguished career as a barrister appearing in in the High Court for notable cases such as Mabo and Wik.”
Attorney-General Frecklington said Mr Sosso, the Director-General of the Department of State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, with responsibilities including planning and urban growth, had vast public sector experience including service to both State and Commonwealth Governments of both political persuasions, over four decades.
She said Mr Vidgen brought over three decades of senior public sector management experience to the QRC.
“The Commissioner appointments are for a term of two years.”
The appointments came on the same day as Julian Simmonds was announced the Acting CEO of Economic Development Queensland.
Economic Development Queensland Chair Brendan O’Farrell said Mr Simmonds brought extensive experience across planning, development and local government.
Mr O’Farrell said this was acknowledged by his appointment to the South Bank Corporation board under the former Labor government.
“This experience will be critical in guiding Economic Development Queensland to help deliver the Queensland Government’s Securing our Housing Foundations Plan, and shift the EDQ’s focus to delivering homes in Priority Development Areas to tackle Queensland’s Housing Crisis.”
