How Parkhurst quiet Australian voters have swung elections

Rockhampton suburb Parkhurst has been identified as a volatile booth heading into the federal election, switching from one party to another three times between 2007 and 2019. Read how some residents are voting this federal election.

One week before the federal election is when Rockyview resident Andrew Donaldson says he will start looking at policies to make his decision on which party he would swing his vote towards.

However, Mr Donaldson said he would typically find a minor party he would “chuck a vote to” and then vote The Australian Greens and Australian Labor Party as his second and third options.

The suburb of Rockyview is situated beside Rockhampton suburb Parkhurst, which has been identified as a volatile booth heading into the federal election, switching from one party to another three times between 2007 and 2019.

Both suburbs fall under the electorate of Capricornia, which encompasses the Isaac and Livingstone regions, as well as part of the Mackay, Rockhampton and Whitsunday regions.

Andrew Donaldson. Picture: Contributed

Mr Donaldson said he would swing his vote towards the party that would be shifting away from coal and going towards renewable energy and that public transport was another issue he would like to see addressed.

He said he would also like to see more local tourism funding.

“More incentives to come to Rockhampton because right now there is just nothing,” he said.

He said at this stage he wouldn’t be swinging his vote towards the Liberal Party of Australia while Prime Minister Scott Morrison was still in charge.

“I can’t think of a single thing he has done while he has been in charge that I like,” he said.

“All the bad stuff outweighs the good stuff.”

Parkhurst resident Lauren Robinson said she hadn’t decided which party she would be swinging her vote towards in the next federal election.

“I think it just depends at the time what people are putting out there,” Ms Robinson said.

Lauren Robinson. Picture: Contributed

She said she would generally sway her vote towards the Australian Labor Party as that was the party her family voted for.

She said she would sway her vote towards the party whose policies would include education.

She said her two children attended Parkhurst State School.

“They have to look after the community and they have to look after anything to do with schooling because I have little kids,” she said.

“Anything that will benefit education, keeping everybody employed and everything going as it should.”

She said she would also like to see more for the Parkhurst community, including more parks with shade structures and facilities.

“We don’t have a great deal of stuff out our way,” she said.