Canberra (ACT)
Canberra is a federal electoral division in ACT covering 312.2 km², currently held by Alicia Payne (ALP). It is the 75th largest of 150 divisions by area and the 9th least populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $338.1m across 307 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Canberra boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 312.2 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 145,507 |
| Population density | 466.01/km² |
| Median age | 35 |
| Median personal income | $1,289/week |
| Median household income | $2,419/week |
| Median family income | $3,220/week |
| Median rent | $475/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $2,167/month |
| Average household size | 2.3 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 0.9 |
How Canberra compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 312.2 km², the 75th largest of 150 divisions with data; in line with the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 145,507, the 9th least populous of 149 divisions with data; 13% below the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 466.0/km², the 74th least densely populated of 149 divisions with data; 11% below the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $1,289/week, the 3rd highest of 149 divisions with data; 66% above the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $475/week, the 16th highest of 149 divisions with data; 27% above the median of $375/week.
Where Canberra is near the top or bottom of a list, see: Least populous federal electorates · Federal electorates with the highest median income · Federal electorates with the highest median rent. All rankings →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 102,942 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 92.7% (+0.62 swing) |
| Informal vote | 2.12% (+0.35 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Alicia Payne (ALP) 69.52% (margin 19.5pts) (+7.32 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Australian Labor Party 76.42% (margin 26.4pts) (+3.96 swing) notional |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alicia Payne ★ | Australian Labor Party | 45,133 | 48.32% | +3.44pts |
| Isabel Mudford | Australian Greens | 18,504 | 19.81% | -4.88pts |
| Will Roche | Liberal | 17,101 | 18.31% | -3.46pts |
| Claire Miles | Independent | 10,187 | 10.91% | +10.91pts |
| Teresa Mctaggart | AJP | 1,258 | 1.35% | +1.35pts |
| Mary-Jane Liddicoat | HEART Party | 1,222 | 1.31% | +1.31pts |
Grants received
Grant awards published on GrantConnect, 1 Jul 2026 to 6 Nov 2026 (Political Gadgets' collection began with July 2026 publications). Source: GrantConnect, via Political Gadgets' grants page for Canberra.
| Total value | $338,064,882 (307 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $74,663,064 (218 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $263,401,818 (89 awards) |
Each award is placed by its delivery postcode, or by the recipient's registered postcode when no delivery postcode is given. Many of the second kind are local organisations whose delivery location simply wasn't recorded, but they also include national organisations headquartered here, which is why city-centre seats can show large totals for money that is actually spent elsewhere.
Top recipients
| Recipient | Awards | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Dementia & Alzheimer's Australia Ltd | 1 | $84,247,900 |
| The Australian National University | 27 | $34,673,720 |
| Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation Limited | 1 | $32,111,082 |
| Aspen Medical Pty Limited | 3 | $32,028,040 |
| Indigenous Allied Health Australia Ltd | 3 | $23,227,028 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA572612 | Dementia & Alzheimer's Australia Ltd | RC Support Informal Carers - NDSP | Recipient based here | $84,247,900 |
| GA567455 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Healing Foundation Limited | Safety and Wellbeing | Recipient based here | $32,111,082 |
| GA577976 | National Australia Day Council | National Australia Day Council | Delivered here | $16,301,000 |
| GA572674 | Aspen Medical Pty Limited | Grwing a wfrce for seniors - RLAP | Recipient based here | $14,305,280 |
| GA572749 | Australian Indigenous Doctors' Association Ltd | Indigenous Work Force | Recipient based here | $13,230,364 |
See every grant award in Canberra →
Member
| Member | Alicia Payne (ALP) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | — |
Voting attendance
73.7% (1,205 of 1,634 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $381,950 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $0 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $0 |
| Office Facilities | $176,466 |
| Office Administration | $186,905 |
| Other Car Costs | $16,858 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $0 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $0 |
| Travel Allowance | $0 |
| Telecommunications | $1,721 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Backbencher (84 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | 100–1,000 km² (58 electorates) |
| State | ACT (3 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Urban/Suburban (98 electorates) |
Previous / next in Australian Capital Territory (alphabetical): ← Bean · Fenner →
Other electorates in Australian Capital Territory
AEC profile · They Vote For You · Alicia Payne on Political Gadgets
← Back to the full comparison table
Geometry: AEC federal electoral boundaries (2025). Demographics: ABS Data API (Census 2021, CED 2021 boundaries). Election results: AEC 2025 tally room. Expenses: IPEA via indexpenses. Grants: GrantConnect via grants. Attendance & positions: Political Gadgets' own Australian Parliament division-record data. See the popup for licensing and caveats.