Merri-bek and Hume

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About Merri-bek and Hume

The Hume branch merged with the Moreland branch in late 2020 to become the Hume-Moreland branch. In 2022, with the renaming of Moreland council to Merri-bek council, we are now the Merri-bek and Hume branch.

Proximity to Melbourne University and the larger biomedical precinct in Parkville, combined with the growing number of apartments, means Merri-bek is seeing more workers in the knowledge economy moving in. Also, a steady stream of bikes flows from the Upfield bike path and many other streets as students and workers find alternatives to overcrowded public transport.

Merri-bek residents are usually at the front of progressive politics, and the environment has joined social justice as a leading concern for locals. Ceres Environmental Park and the Australian Energy Foundation (formerly the Moreland Energy Foundation) are obvious signs of this, as well as the present noise of bellbirds on the Merri Creek as a result of many years of tree-planting by residents. Because of the nature of the built environment and a lack of open space in Moreland, the area will be one of the places in Australia hit hardest by the heat island effect during increasingly hot summers. The Merri-bek and Hume Greens will be at the forefront of campaigning for fast action on climate change in the community and at all levels of government.

Hume is one of Australia's fastest-growing and culturally-diverse communities and is home to nearly 249,000 residents. It is located in Melbourne’s northern fringe, just 15 kilometres from the centre of Melbourne.

Our People

Merri-bek runs from inner city Brunswick in the south, taking in Pascoe Vale and Coburg and includes Fawkner and Glenroy in the north where it finishes at the Western Ring Road. These have always been working class suburbs with smaller houses, and a lot of renters, so progressive causes do well here. A large number of post-war immigrant Greek and Italian families have been joined by Turkish, Lebanese and more recent waves of immigrants so that Merri-bek’s streets echo with a variety of languages, and Sydney Rd and Lygon St boast a fabulous range of restaurants.

Hume is built around the established suburbs of Broadmeadows, Tullamarine and Gladstone Park in the south, the developing residential suburbs of Craigieburn, Greenvale, Mickleham, Kalkallo and Roxburgh Park in the north-east and the Sunbury township in the north-west.

It is made up of a vibrant mix of contrasts including new and established residential areas, major industrial and commercial precincts and vast expanses of rural areas and parkland, as well as The Melbourne Airport. Over 35 percent of Hume residents were born overseas and come from 156 different countries. Hume residents speak over 150 languages.

Over 400 residents from Hume and Merri-bek are now members of the Hume-Moreland branch of the Greens, which meets regularly to hear invited speakers, to run local election campaigns and support our elected councillors. Our people are passionate and cohesive; someone should put them into Parliament.

You can contact the Merri-bek and Hume Greens via email merri-bek-humebranch@vic.greens.org.au

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