Paterson (NSW)
Paterson is a federal electoral division in NSW covering 1,034.0 km², currently held by Meryl Swanson (ALP). It is the 57th largest of 150 divisions by area and the 51st most populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $153.7m across 49 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Paterson boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 1,034.0 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 175,578 |
| Population density | 169.81/km² |
| Median age | 40 |
| Median personal income | $722/week |
| Median household income | $1,494/week |
| Median family income | $1,859/week |
| Median rent | $365/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $1,733/month |
| Average household size | 2.5 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 0.8 |
How Paterson compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 1,034.0 km², the 57th largest of 150 divisions with data; 3.3 times the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 175,578, the 51st most populous of 149 divisions with data; 4% above the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 169.8/km², the 59th least densely populated of 149 divisions with data; 32% of the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $722/week, the 37th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 7% below the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $365/week, the 67th lowest of 149 divisions with data; 3% below the median of $375/week.
See all rankings (largest, most populous, highest income …) →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 127,926 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 92.76% (+4.39 swing) |
| Informal vote | 8.39% (+3.41 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Meryl Swanson (ALP) 56.89% (margin 6.9pts) (+4.29 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Australian Labor Party 56.89% (margin 6.9pts) (+4.29 swing) |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meryl Swanson ★ | Labor | 40,290 | 37.06% | -2.99pts |
| Laurence Antcliff | Liberal | 29,602 | 27.23% | -10.34pts |
| Philip Penfold | Independent | 10,565 | 9.72% | +9.72pts |
| Arnon Wither | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 8,254 | 7.59% | -0.29pts |
| Paul Johns | The Greens | 8,219 | 7.56% | -0.11pts |
| Daniel Dryden | Legalise Cannabis Party | 4,223 | 3.88% | +3.88pts |
| Peter N Arena | Trumpet of Patriots | 2,766 | 2.54% | +2.54pts |
| Sandra Lyn Briggs | Family First | 2,205 | 2.03% | +2.03pts |
| Rod Holding | Independent | 1,360 | 1.25% | +1.25pts |
| April Maree Scott | Independent | 1,220 | 1.12% | +1.12pts |
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 Paterson.
| Total value | $153,746,367 (49 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $1,002,417 (35 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $152,743,950 (14 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Hunter Valley Solar Foundry Pty Ltd | 1 | $151,548,000 |
| FIRST LANGUAGES AUSTRALIA LIMITED | 1 | $1,149,995 |
| Port Stephens Council | 1 | $750,000 |
| Beresfield Community Children's Education Centre | 2 | $28,451 |
| Salamander Child Care Centre | 1 | $26,749 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA579416 | Hunter Valley Solar Foundry Pty Ltd | Solar Sunshot Round 1A | Recipient based here | $151,548,000 |
| GA588323 | FIRST LANGUAGES AUSTRALIA LIMITED | Indigenous Languages and Arts Program | Recipient based here | $1,149,995 |
| GA589441 | Port Stephens Council | Major and Local Community Infrastructure Program | Delivered here | $750,000 |
| GA569607 | Salamander Child Care Centre | Inclusion Support Program | Delivered here | $26,749 |
| GA568765 | Tillys Play and Education Centre - Chisholm | Inclusion Support Program | Delivered here | $21,114 |
See every grant award in Paterson →
Member
| Member | Meryl Swanson (ALP) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | — |
Voting attendance
82.7% (1,730 of 2,093 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $631,094 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $75,515 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $9,870 |
| Office Facilities | $162,413 |
| Office Administration | $310,047 |
| Other Car Costs | $31,334 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $18,125 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $0 |
| Travel Allowance | $18,318 |
| Telecommunications | $4,304 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Backbencher (84 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | 1,000–10,000 km² (32 electorates) |
| State | NSW (46 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Urban/Suburban (98 electorates) |
Previous / next in New South Wales (alphabetical): ← Parramatta · Reid →
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 · Hunter · Kingsford Smith · Lindsay · Lyne · Macarthur · Mackellar · Macquarie · McMahon · Mitchell · New England · Newcastle · Page · Parkes · Parramatta · Reid · Richmond · Riverina · Robertson · Shortland · Sydney · Warringah · Watson · Wentworth · Werriwa · Whitlam
AEC profile · They Vote For You · Meryl Swanson 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.