Hunter (NSW)
Hunter is a federal electoral division in NSW covering 7,309.3 km², currently held by Dan Repacholi (ALP). It is the 35th largest of 150 divisions by area and the 53rd most populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $16.5m across 187 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Hunter boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 7,309.3 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 174,420 |
| Population density | 23.86/km² |
| Median age | 40 |
| Median personal income | $730/week |
| Median household income | $1,593/week |
| Median family income | $1,960/week |
| Median rent | $350/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $1,748/month |
| Average household size | 2.6 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 0.8 |
How Hunter compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 7,309.3 km², the 35th largest of 150 divisions with data; 23.5 times the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 174,420, the 53rd most populous of 149 divisions with data; 4% above the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 23.9/km², the 35th least densely populated of 149 divisions with data; 5% of the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $730/week, the 43rd lowest of 149 divisions with data; 6% below the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $350/week, the 60th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 7% below the median of $375/week.
See all rankings (largest, most populous, highest income …) →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 132,184 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 91.88% (+4.29 swing) |
| Informal vote | 8.05% (+0.68 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Dan Repacholi (ALP) 59.04% (margin 9.0pts) (+59.04 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Australian Labor Party 59.48% (margin 9.5pts) (+4.7 swing) notional |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dan Repacholi ★ | Labor | 48,582 | 43.5% | +4.07pts |
| Sue Gilroy | The Nationals | 20,290 | 18.17% | -6.51pts |
| Stuart Bonds | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 18,011 | 16.13% | +6.04pts |
| Louise Stokes | The Greens | 8,286 | 7.42% | -1.4pts |
| Andrew David Fenwick | Legalise Cannabis Party | 5,655 | 5.06% | +5.06pts |
| Suellen Wrightson | Trumpet of Patriots | 4,068 | 3.64% | +3.64pts |
| Paul Farrelly | Family First | 2,644 | 2.37% | +2.37pts |
| Kyle Boddan | Shooters, Fishers and Farmers Party | 2,507 | 2.24% | +2.24pts |
| Victoria Davies | Animal Justice Party | 1,629 | 1.46% | -0.61pts |
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 Hunter.
| Total value | $16,467,713 (187 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $9,061,268 (124 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $7,406,445 (63 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 |
|---|---|---|
| ARWARBUKARL CULTURAL RESOURCE ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED | 2 | $4,548,032 |
| Lake Macquarie City Council | 9 | $3,225,276 |
| Biraban Local Aboriginal Land Council | 1 | $2,941,672 |
| Cessnock City Council | 1 | $2,000,000 |
| Dolleina Pty Limited | 1 | $1,704,445 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA587928 | ARWARBUKARL CULTURAL RESOURCE ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED | Indigenous Languages and Arts Program | Recipient based here | $4,088,034 |
| GA573107 | Biraban Local Aboriginal Land Council | SEE First Nations Delivery Grant | Delivered here | $2,941,672 |
| GA578885 | Cessnock City Council | Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program | Delivered here | $2,000,000 |
| GA577529 | Dolleina Pty Limited | Disability Support for Older Australians | Recipient based here | $1,704,445 |
| GA576103 | Lake Macquarie City Council | Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program | Delivered here | $880,000 |
See every grant award in Hunter →
Member
| Member | Dan Repacholi (ALP) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | — |
Voting attendance
92.9% (783 of 843 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $802,112 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $191,275 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $0 |
| Office Facilities | $144,908 |
| Office Administration | $312,517 |
| Other Car Costs | $59,092 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $36,550 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $2,601 |
| Travel Allowance | $51,420 |
| Telecommunications | $3,748 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Backbencher (84 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | 1,000–10,000 km² (32 electorates) |
| State | NSW (46 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Rural/Regional (51 electorates) |
Previous / next in New South Wales (alphabetical): ← Hume · Kingsford Smith →
Other electorates in New South Wales
Banks · Barton · Bennelong · Berowra · Blaxland · Bradfield · Calare · Chifley · Cook · Cowper · Cunningham · Dobell · Eden-Monaro · Farrer · Fowler · Gilmore · Grayndler · Greenway · Hughes · Hume · 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 · Dan Repacholi 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.