Electoral division of Nightcliff

Nightcliff is an electoral division of the Legislative Assembly in Australia's Northern Territory. It was first created in 1974, and takes its name from the suburb of the same name. Nightcliff is one of the smallest electorates in the Territory, covering only 4.28 km² and taking in the Darwin suburb of Nightcliff, most of Rapid Creek and a small area of Coconut Grove. There were 5,621 people enrolled in the electorate as of August 2020.

Nightcliff
Northern Territory—Legislative Assembly
Location of Nightcliff in the Darwin/Palmerston area
TerritoryNorthern Territory
Created1974
MPNatasha Fyles
PartyLabor Party
NamesakeNightcliff
Electors5,621 (2020)
Area4 km2 (1.5 sq mi)
DemographicUrban

Nightcliff has tended to be somewhat marginal, with incumbent members generally holding the seat for several years. The seat's first member, independent Dawn Lawrie, was one of only two non-Country Liberal Party members in the first parliament. Upon her retirement in 1983, it was taken by the CLP's Stephen Hatton, who later went on to become Chief Minister of the Territory. Hatton retired in 2001, and while Nightcliff was not a particularly safe CLP seat, it was widely expected that Hatton's son Jason would succeed him. However, he was unexpectedly defeated by Labor Party candidate Jane Aagaard on a large swing that, after preferences, made Nightcliff technically a safe Labor seat. Her victory was part of a Labor sweep of north Darwin that enabled the party to win government for the first time.

Aagaard served a controversial stint as Health Minister and was ultimately axed from the ministry altogether, which led some commentators to suggest that she was in danger of losing her seat at the 2005 election. Despite this, she had very little difficulty holding the seat amid the massive Labor wave that swept through the Territory; after preferences she actually picked up a healthy swing of 8.5 percent, with almost double the votes of the CLP challenger.

Aagaard retired in 2012, and despite a swing against Labor at that year's election, the seat was held for the party by winning candidate Natasha Fyles. Labor's massive landslide at the 2016 election saw Fyles consolidate her hold on the seat; she now sits on a majority of 26.9 percent, making Nightcliff the safest seat in the Territory.

Members for Nightcliff
Member Party Term
  Dawn Lawrie Independent 1974–1983
  Stephen Hatton Country Liberal 1983–2001
  Jane Aagaard Labor 2001–2012
  Natasha Fyles Labor 2012–present

Election results
See also: Electoral results for the division of Nightcliff
2016 Northern Territory general election: Nightcliff[1]
Party Candidate Votes % ±
Labor Natasha Fyles 2,485 60.9 +25.3
Country Liberal Ted Dunstan 868 21.3 −11.1
Greens Matt Haubrick 726 17.8 +11.0
Total formal votes 4,079 98.1 +1.4
Informal votes 78 1.9 −1.4
Turnout 4,157 77.8 +0.9
Two-party-preferred result
Labor Natasha Fyles 3,049 76.9 +17.8
Country Liberal Ted Dunstan 918 23.1 −17.8
Labor hold Swing+17.8
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References
  1. Nightcliff – Electorate summary, Northern Territory Electoral Commission, 9 September 2016

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