THE POLL BLUDGER
Victorian Legislative Assembly Election 2006

BALLARAT WEST
Labor 9.0%

Ballarat West includes the majority of the city that bears its name, and unlike its sister electorate Ballarat East it extends to only a small area of outskirts beyond. Like Ballarat East, it was created when the existing electorate of Ballarat was abolished at the 1992 election and was narrowly held for the Liberals during the period of the Kennett government. A 5.8 per cent swing at the 1999 election gave a 1.0 per cent victory to Labor candidate Karen Overington (left), who enjoyed a further 7.5 per cent swing in 2002. A former Ballarat councillor, Overington is said to be linked to the small Independents faction dominated by Deputy Premier John Thwaites. Her Liberal opponent at the coming poll is Shane Brennan (right), chief executive of the Ballarat Turf Club and former WIN Television news director. There were early suggestions that Stephen Elder, who lost the seat of Ripon amid the rural anti-Kennett backlash in 1999, would win Liberal preselection with the backing of the Kroger/Costello camp, but he withdrew his nomination citing work commitments.

On October 16, the government unveiled the $260 million "Goldfields Superpipe" proposal to pump 38 gigalitres from the Goulburn River to Bendigo and Ballarat, which have been hit by severe restrictions during the current dry spell. Liberal water spokesman Denis Napthine slammed the inclusion of Ballarat in the project, declaring: "People in the Goulburn Valley and the Goulburn irrigation system are absolutely ropeable about the Bracks government moving into their irrigation district and stealing their water for Ballarat".

ASSESSMENT: Labor retain