While initially thought to be reasonably safe for the Labor party, major demographic change in the mid-1970s resulting from the creation of suburbs such as Bull Creek and Leeming on what had previously been swampy agricultural land, resulted in a relatively safe Liberal seat by the time of the election, and Barry MacKinnon easily won the seat.
The creation of suburbs like Bull Creek and Leeming on former farmland, which had been agricultural land, led to a change in the political landscape, making the area a more secure Liberal seat for Barry MacKinnon.