Bonner is a federal electorate. Chatsworth is a Queensland state electorate. A resident can have a federal MP, a state MP and a local councillor representing the same home, but those representatives have different responsibilities and their boundaries do not form one interchangeable map.

The Australian Electoral Commission describes Bonner as covering parts of Brisbane and Redland city councils. That does not mean everyone in either council area lives in Bonner, or that everyone in Chatsworth necessarily shares the same federal electorate. AEC Bonner profile

Start with your address

Use the AEC electorate finder for your federal division and the Electoral Commission of Queensland’s address search for your state district. A suburb or postcode can cross an electoral boundary, so a general locality search may need checking with the commission.

There is an additional timing issue. ECQ says new state boundaries determined in June 2026 will apply at the October 2028 general election. Until then, current representation and any by-elections use the 2017 boundaries. A map prepared for the next election may therefore give a different answer from the map defining your current representative. ECQ boundary guidance

Federal, state or council?

The Commonwealth handles matters including immigration, social security, defence and national taxation. State governments have primary responsibilities for public hospitals, schools, police and public transport. Councils handle services such as rubbish collection, local libraries and local parks. Funding and administration can overlap, so the name of the programme or asset still matters. Australian Government guide

For example, a question about a Centrelink claim belongs in a different administrative system from a complaint about a state school. A councillor can advocate about either, but that does not give the council authority to decide the claim or run the school.

Start with the responsible service or agency when reporting a problem. If you then seek an MP’s assistance, include the reference number, dates and the response already received. That gives the office something specific to pursue rather than restarting the enquiry.

Current electorate offices

Parliament’s directory lists Kara Cook as the federal Member for Bonner, with an electorate office at 69 Clara Street, Wynnum. The office number is 07 3893 3488. Federal parliamentary profile

Queensland Parliament lists Steve Minnikin as the Member for Chatsworth, with an electorate office at the Millennium Business Centre in Carindale. Its number is 07 3914 9100. State parliamentary profile

Check that you live in the relevant electorate before sending personal records. Begin with a short account of the issue and ask what documents the office needs and how to provide them securely. Do not send identity documents to several offices simply to cover every possibility.