Cunningham (NSW)
Cunningham is a federal electoral division in NSW covering 537.9 km², currently held by Alison Byrnes (ALP). It is the 68th largest of 150 divisions by area and the 57th least populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $17.5m across 150 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Cunningham boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 537.9 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 161,676 |
| Population density | 300.55/km² |
| Median age | 39 |
| Median personal income | $780/week |
| Median household income | $1,743/week |
| Median family income | $2,253/week |
| Median rent | $390/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $2,167/month |
| Average household size | 2.5 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 0.8 |
How Cunningham compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 537.9 km², the 68th largest of 150 divisions with data; 73% above the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 161,676, the 57th least populous of 149 divisions with data; 4% below the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 300.6/km², the 67th least densely populated of 149 divisions with data; 42% below the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $780/week, the 73rd highest of 149 divisions with data; in line with the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $390/week, the 60th highest of 149 divisions with data; 4% above the median of $375/week.
See all rankings (largest, most populous, highest income …) →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 132,139 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 92.37% (+1.57 swing) |
| Informal vote | 5.4% (+0.06 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Alison Byrnes (ALP) 67.52% (margin 17.5pts) (+2.45 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Australian Labor Party 67.52% (margin 17.5pts) (+2.45 swing) |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Alison Byrnes ★ | Labor | 51,607 | 44.69% | +3.49pts |
| Amanda Ivaneza | Liberal | 26,813 | 23.22% | -1.25pts |
| Jess Whittaker | The Greens | 23,584 | 20.42% | -0.24pts |
| John Fuller | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 8,765 | 7.59% | +2.23pts |
| Tim Lavers | Animal Justice Party | 3,048 | 2.64% | +2.64pts |
| Alexis Garnaut-Miller | Citizens Party | 1,657 | 1.43% | +0.45pts |
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 Cunningham.
| Total value | $17,534,321 (150 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $3,206,050 (99 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $14,328,271 (51 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Illawarra Retirement Trust | 3 | $5,127,031 |
| Hillside Brae Pty Ltd | 1 | $4,400,000 |
| Boomerang Training Solutions Pty Ltd | 1 | $1,610,100 |
| YILABARA LTD | 2 | $1,309,261 |
| Coordinare Limited | 2 | $1,161,504 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA583352 | Hillside Brae Pty Ltd | RC 1st Nations AC Infrastructure Sppt | Recipient based here | $4,400,000 |
| GA588794 | Illawarra Retirement Trust | RC 1st Nations AC Infrastructure Sppt | Recipient based here | $1,975,188 |
| GA588792 | Illawarra Retirement Trust | RC 1st Nations AC Infrastructure Sppt | Recipient based here | $1,721,500 |
| GA574813 | Boomerang Training Solutions Pty Ltd | SEE First Nations Delivery Grant | Delivered here | $1,610,100 |
| GA588793 | Illawarra Retirement Trust | RC 1st Nations AC Infrastructure Sppt | Recipient based here | $1,430,344 |
See every grant award in Cunningham →
Member
| Member | Alison Byrnes (ALP) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | — |
Voting attendance
94.2% (794 of 843 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $558,158 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $41,233 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $0 |
| Office Facilities | $234,323 |
| Office Administration | $219,179 |
| Other Car Costs | $18,091 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $12,442 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $136 |
| Travel Allowance | $30,327 |
| Telecommunications | $2,427 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Backbencher (84 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | 100–1,000 km² (58 electorates) |
| State | NSW (46 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Urban/Suburban (98 electorates) |
Previous / next in New South Wales (alphabetical): ← Cowper · Dobell →
Other electorates in New South Wales
Banks · Barton · Bennelong · Berowra · Blaxland · Bradfield · Calare · Chifley · Cook · Cowper · Dobell · Eden-Monaro · Farrer · Fowler · Gilmore · Grayndler · Greenway · Hughes · Hume · Hunter · Kingsford Smith · Lindsay · Lyne · Macarthur · Mackellar · Macquarie · McMahon · Mitchell · New England · Newcastle · Page · Parkes · Parramatta · Paterson · Reid · Richmond · Riverina · Robertson · Shortland · Sydney · Warringah · Watson · Wentworth · Werriwa · Whitlam
AEC profile · They Vote For You · Alison Byrnes on Political Gadgets
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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.