Gippsland (VIC)
Gippsland is a federal electoral division in VIC covering 33,319.5 km², currently held by Darren Chester (NAT). It is the 18th largest of 150 divisions by area and the 27th least populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $21.5m across 65 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Gippsland boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 33,319.5 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 154,357 |
| Population density | 4.63/km² |
| Median age | 46 |
| Median personal income | $644/week |
| Median household income | $1,238/week |
| Median family income | $1,598/week |
| Median rent | $250/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $1,300/month |
| Average household size | 2.3 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 0.7 |
How Gippsland compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 33,319.5 km², the 18th largest of 150 divisions with data; 107.2 times the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 154,357, the 27th least populous of 149 divisions with data; 8% below the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 4.6/km², the 19th least densely populated of 149 divisions with data; under 1% of the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $644/week, the 14th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 17% below the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $250/week, the 13th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 33% below the median of $375/week.
Where Gippsland is near the top or bottom of a list, see: Largest federal electorates by area · Federal electorates with the lowest median income · Federal electorates with the lowest median rent. All rankings →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 118,075 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 92.03% (+3.67 swing) |
| Informal vote | 3.59% (+0.63 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Darren Chester (NP) 69.36% (margin 19.4pts) (-1.21 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Liberal/National Coalition 69.36% (margin 19.4pts) (+1.21 swing) |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Darren Chester ★ | The Nationals | 55,036 | 52.54% | -1.6pts |
| Sonny Stephens | Australian Labor Party | 22,291 | 21.28% | +2.05pts |
| Gregory Hansford | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 15,118 | 14.43% | +5.07pts |
| Rochelle Hine | The Greens | 8,897 | 8.49% | +0.02pts |
| Simon Wilson | Libertarian | 3,416 | 3.26% | +3.26pts |
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 Gippsland.
| Total value | $21,468,467 (65 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $1,057,783 (31 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $20,410,684 (34 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Gippsland Health Network Limited | 1 | $16,777,340 |
| Latrobe Community Health Service Limited | 1 | $985,985 |
| Gippsland Agricultural Group Inc. | 1 | $907,898 |
| Lake Tyers Health & Childrens Services Association Inc. | 1 | $530,150 |
| East Gippsland Shire Council | 1 | $500,000 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA567880 | Gippsland Health Network Limited | PHN Medicare Mental Health Centres | Recipient based here | $16,777,340 |
| GA572496 | Latrobe Community Health Service Limited | ACVVS Aged Care Volunteer Visitor Scheme | Recipient based here | $985,985 |
| GA590765 | Gippsland Agricultural Group Inc. | Scaling Success | Recipient based here | $907,898 |
| GA588784 | Lake Tyers Health & Childrens Services Association Inc. | Indigenous Employment Initiative Program | Recipient based here | $530,150 |
| GA575250 | East Gippsland Shire Council | Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program | Delivered here | $500,000 |
See every grant award in Gippsland →
Member
| Member | Darren Chester (NAT) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | Shadow Minister for Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry Deputy Leader of the National Party |
Voting attendance
82.7% (2,708 of 3,274 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $639,489 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $72,706 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $0 |
| Office Facilities | $160,276 |
| Office Administration | $259,742 |
| Other Car Costs | $63,325 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $25,544 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $379 |
| Travel Allowance | $46,822 |
| Telecommunications | $6,282 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Shadow Cabinet (10 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | 10,000–100,000 km² (17 electorates) |
| State | VIC (38 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Rural/Regional (51 electorates) |
Previous / next in Victoria (alphabetical): ← Gellibrand · Goldstein →
Other electorates in Victoria
Aston · Ballarat · Bendigo · Bruce · Calwell · Casey · Chisholm · Cooper · Corangamite · Corio · Deakin · Dunkley · Flinders · Fraser · Gellibrand · Goldstein · Gorton · Hawke · Holt · Hotham · Indi · Isaacs · Jagajaga · Kooyong · La Trobe · Lalor · Macnamara · Mallee · Maribyrnong · McEwen · Melbourne · Menzies · Monash · Nicholls · Scullin · Wannon · Wills
AEC profile · They Vote For You · Darren Chester 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.