Riverstone is widely described as a key marginal seat for both major parties.[1][2]
History
Much of the electorate is situated in the growing north-west sector, which has been poorly served in transport, health and police resources. Although ancestrally a Labor seat, changing demographics in the eastern portion of the seat (Glenwood, Parklea, Acacia Gardens, Stanhope Gardens, Kellyville Ridge, The Ponds, Rouse Hill) suggested a long-term Liberal trend in voting patterns.[3] Proving this, Liberal Kevin Conolly won the seat in 2011 on a swing of 30.2 percent—almost unheard of in Australian politics—turning the seat from safe Labor to very safe Liberal in one stroke. In 2023, the current member Warren Kirby won the seat back for Labor with a swing of over 12%.[4]