Forrest (WA)
Forrest is a federal electoral division in WA covering 6,463.5 km², currently held by Ben Small (LP). It is the 38th largest of 150 divisions by area and the 37th least populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $2.6m across 74 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Forrest boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 6,463.5 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 157,999 |
| Population density | 24.44/km² |
| Median age | 42 |
| Median personal income | $759/week |
| Median household income | $1,541/week |
| Median family income | $1,940/week |
| Median rent | $325/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $1,700/month |
| Average household size | 2.5 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 0.7 |
How Forrest compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 6,463.5 km², the 38th largest of 150 divisions with data; 20.8 times the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 157,999, the 37th least populous of 149 divisions with data; 6% below the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 24.4/km², the 37th least densely populated of 149 divisions with data; 5% of the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $759/week, the 61st lowest of 149 divisions with data; 2% below the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $325/week, the 44th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 13% below the median of $375/week.
See all rankings (largest, most populous, highest income …) →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 117,485 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 89.31% (+4.3 swing) |
| Informal vote | 5.21% (-0.02 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Ben Small (LP) 52.24% (margin 2.2pts) (-1.95 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Liberal/National Coalition 52.24% (margin 2.2pts) (+1.95 swing) |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ben Small ★ | Liberal | 31,011 | 31.18% | -11.89pts |
| Tabitha Dowding | Australian Labor Party | 22,423 | 22.55% | -5.03pts |
| Sue Chapman | Independent | 18,206 | 18.31% | +18.31pts |
| Paul Van Der Mey | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 8,670 | 8.72% | +3.47pts |
| Georgia Beardman | The Greens (WA) Inc | 7,840 | 7.88% | -5.57pts |
| Aaron Peet | Legalise Cannabis Party | 5,131 | 5.16% | +5.16pts |
| Cam Parsons | The Nationals | 4,771 | 4.8% | +4.8pts |
| Peter Greenland | Trumpet of Patriots | 1,405 | 1.41% | +0.23pts |
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 Forrest.
| Total value | $2,551,371 (74 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $367,760 (34 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $2,183,611 (40 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Leaps & Bounds Preschool Pty Ltd | 3 | $1,245,200 |
| The Young Men's Christian Association of Western Australia Incorporated | 1 | $431,746 |
| CITY OF BUNBURY | 1 | $330,000 |
| College Community Child Care Centre Inc | 2 | $112,817 |
| KARRI KARRAK ABORIGINAL CORPORATION | 1 | $88,000 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA579997 | Leaps & Bounds Preschool Pty Ltd | CCCF Open Competitive Sustainability Support | Recipient based here | $522,500 |
| GA579999 | The Young Men's Christian Association of Western Australia Incorporated | CCCF Open Competitive Sustainability Support | Recipient based here | $431,746 |
| GA579925 | Leaps & Bounds Preschool Pty Ltd | CCCF Open Competitive Sustainability Support | Recipient based here | $400,400 |
| GA579563 | CITY OF BUNBURY | Indigenous Visual Arts Industry Support | Recipient based here | $330,000 |
| GA579818 | Leaps & Bounds Preschool Pty Ltd | CCCF Open Competitive Sustainability Support | Recipient based here | $322,300 |
See every grant award in Forrest →
Member
| Member | Ben Small (LP) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | Shadow Assistant Minister for Electoral Matters Shadow Assistant Minister for Infrastructure Opposition Whip |
Voting attendance
79.2% (726 of 917 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $790,978 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $110,649 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $0 |
| Office Facilities | $183,024 |
| Office Administration | $299,657 |
| Other Car Costs | $27,840 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $109,767 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $1,094 |
| Travel Allowance | $37,706 |
| Telecommunications | $4,516 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Shadow Assistant Minister (7 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | 1,000–10,000 km² (32 electorates) |
| State | WA (16 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Rural/Regional (51 electorates) |
Previous / next in Western Australia (alphabetical): ← Durack · Fremantle →
Other electorates in Western Australia
Brand · Bullwinkel · Burt · Canning · Cowan · Curtin · Durack · Fremantle · Hasluck · Moore · O'Connor · Pearce · Perth · Swan · Tangney
AEC profile · They Vote For You · Ben Small 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.