There are proposals to create a new electorate absorbing a big chunk of Katherine.

Voters are being asked to comment on proposed changes to NT electoral boundaries.

Arnhem has not enough voters and Katherine has too many so one idea is to extra Arnhem's boundary to include part of Katherine.

Then Katherine could possibly claim two members of parliament.

Katherine has 500 too many voters to fit under the current quota, those extra voters would be absorbed into a renamed Arnhem.

Current Katherine MLA Sandra Nelson has already indicated she would not be re-contesting the 2020 election while Arnhem is held by Selena Uibo.

The other part of the Arnhem idea was to move its southern boundary beyond the Roper River, and also to give it a new name.

Fourteen submissions were received during the first phase of public consultation of the 2019 NT Electoral Boundary Redistribution.

The public now have a chance to comment on these suggestions before the draft boundaries are determined by the Redistribution Committee.

"Members of the public are now invited to make comments on the suggestions to the Redistribution Committee, in writing, by close of business on Monday, April 15," NT Electoral Commissioner, Iain Loganathan said.

"In particular, the Redistribution Committee encourages comments on the new division names that have been suggested."

When changes are made to a division's electoral boundaries, the division name may no longer have the same relevance, especially when locality names have been used.

The most recent division name changes in the Northern Territory have been the new division of Spillett, created in 2015, and the name Namatjira which replaced MacDonnell in Central Australian in 2012.

Convention dictates that names of Commonwealth electoral divisions and of living persons are avoided; however, names of persons who have died and given significant service to the Northern Territory may be adapted.

"In the 14 submissions that were received, there were three new divisional names suggested, as well as major changes to another division that may mean the current name is no longer appropriate.

"The next 12 days are a great opportunity for the public to let the Redistribution Committee know whether they support these suggestions, or whether they have further name suggestions for us to consider, Mr Loganathan said.

"The Committee welcomes suggested names for any Territory division, not just those mentioned in these submissions."

The names put forward during the first round of public consultation were:

Gwoya - To replace the division name Stuart.

Mulka - To replace the division name Nhulunbuy.

Leanyer - To replace the division name Wanguri. (This name suggestion contradicts Section 139B (2) of the Act as it is a locality name). Somerville has been suggested in the past.

NT electoral boundaries are being redrawn in preparation for the August 2020 Territory election.

All public suggestions and detailed redistribution information is available from the NT Electoral Commission's website:

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