City of Merri-bek
Template:Use Australian English Template:Use dmy dates Template:Infobox Australian place
The City of Merri-bek (Template:IPAc-en<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>), formerly the City of Moreland, is a local government area in metropolitan Melbourne, Australia. It comprises the inner northern suburbs between 4 and 11 kilometres from the Melbourne CBD. The Merri-bek local government area covers Template:Cvt, and in June 2018, it had a population of 181,725.<ref name=ABSLGA/>
History
The local government area was created as the City of Moreland in 1994 during the amalgamations of local governments by the state government, being created from the former local government areas of the City of Brunswick, the City of Coburg and the southern part of the City of Broadmeadows. It was renamed to Merri-bek in September 2022.<ref name="VGG 2022 p3871">Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2004 the Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC), an independent authority created under Victorian state legislation, conducted a representation review of the council's electoral structure, resulting in a recommendation that the 10 single councillor wards be replaced by three multi-councillor wards. A consequence of the change from single-councillor to multi-councillor wards was a change in election method from Instant runoff voting to proportional representation via Single transferable vote. Elections are held every four years.
Renaming
In November 2021, it came to the council's attention that Moreland's namesake was indirectly associated with a Jamaican plantation site that had traded slaves up to the 1800s.<ref name="bchg">Template:Cite web</ref><ref name="sim_dec2021">Template:Cite web</ref> This historical information was contained in the 2010 Moreland Council publication Thematic History,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and published in books and articles as far back as 1944.<ref name=":2" />
In October 1839, Scottish surgeon and settler Dr Farquhar McCrae was sold land between Moonee Ponds Creek and Sydney Road by the Crown in the area's first colonial sale. McCrae gave the land the name Moreland. Some suggest he may have taken this name from a Jamaican sugar plantation that his paternal grandfather Alexander McCrae worked at<ref name=":1">Template:Cite report</ref> from the late 1760s to the early 1790s, which was involved in slave trading,<ref name=":2">Template:Cite book</ref> and kept up to 500 to 700 enslaved people in the operation in any one year.<ref name =change>Template:Cite web</ref> Greens Mayor Mark Riley said "The history behind the naming of this area is painful, uncomfortable and very wrong. It needs to be addressed".<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite news</ref> In May 2022 a choice of three proposed names from the Woi-wurrung language was announced by Riley and Uncle Andrew Gardiner, deputy chair of the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung Cultural Heritage Aboriginal Corporation: Wa-dam-buk, meaning “renew”; Merri-bek, meaning “rocky country”; and Jerrang, meaning “leaf of tree”. The names were scheduled to be decided by July 2022 following community consultation.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The community consultation for the renaming commenced in May 2022 and ended June 2022. Some residents expressed dissatisfaction with the process resulting in a petition to council.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
On 3 July 2022 (coinciding with the start of NAIDOC Week) the Council voted at a Special Council Meeting to officially endorse Merri-bek as the preferred name.<ref name=":0">Template:Cite web</ref> The name was submitted to the Minister for Local Government for consideration and the Minister's decision to alter the name was gazetted on 13 September 2022 and came into operation on 26 September.<ref name="VGG 2022 p3871" />
Council services
Merri-bek Council runs the Counihan Gallery at the Brunswick Town Hall, a free public art gallery named after the local artist, Noel Counihan. Other art events supported by Council include the MoreArt event, an art in public spaces show located along the Upfield transport corridor. The council also sponsors various street festivals around the municipality, the best known being the Sydney Road Street Party.
One of the highlights of Merri-bek is its public library. Merri-bek City Libraries has five branches.
Other Merri-bek local government services include maternal and child health service, waste and recycling collection, parks and open space, a youth space called Oxygen, services for children, and aged services.
Climate action
A January 2020 ClimateWorks Australia local government report identified City of Moreland as one of 3 out of 57 municipal jurisdictions in Australia to have a "fully aligned net zero by 2050 target that addresses both operational and community emissions."<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The City of Merri-bek is a member of ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, the Global Covenant of Mayors for Climate & Energy,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> the Cities Power Partnership,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> Climate Emergency Australia (CEA), Climate Active, The Northern Alliance for Greenhouse Action (NAGA), and has declared pledges in the TAKE2 scheme with Sustainability Victoria.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Council declared a climate emergency on 12 September 2018.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Council operational emissions reduction
For operational emissions, Moreland Council was certified as a ‘carbon neutral’ council in 2012. This required purchase of carbon offset credits. Moreland was the second council in Victoria, and the third in Australia, to receive this certification. A target of 30% less emissions than 2011, with a stretch goal of 40% by 2020, was over-achieved with an emissions cut of 69% by 2020, which will reduce the carbon offsets required to be purchased.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Moreland City Council installed Victoria's first EV fast charge station in 2013. This has now grown to a network of 16 public EV charging stations around the municipality which are powered by 100% zero emissions renewable energy from the Crowlands Wind Farm, near Ararat.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
In 2014, City of Moreland joined with the City of Melbourne and several other institutions and established the Melbourne Renewable Energy Project (MREP).<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> This project developed and funded the construction of a purpose-built 39 turbine, 80 MW Crowlands windfarm, which started supplying 100% renewables power to Council facilities and buildings in 2019.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Net zero by 2040 community emissions target
Moreland's community wide municipal emissions in 2019 were 1,609,000 tonnes CO2e, composed of sectoral emissions of: Waste (3%), Transport (17%), Gas (21%), Electricity (59%).<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
The City of Merri-bek has set a community emissions reduction target of net zero emissions by 2040 and established the Moreland Zero Carbon 2040 Framework Strategy and the first 5-year action plan to achieve that target.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Climate related policies and strategies
Other key climate and sustainability policies and strategies driving climate action include: Climate Emergency Action Plan (2020 to 2025), Moreland Integrated Transport Strategy, Waste and Litter Strategy, Achieving zero Carbon in the Planning Scheme, Sustainable Buildings Policy, Urban Heat Island Effect Action Plan, Urban Forest Strategy, Watermap, Procurement policy, Cooling the Upfield Corridor Action Plan, Food Systems Strategy, Fossil Fuel Divestment Strategy, Moreland Nature Plan.
Climate action endorsements
During 2021 City of Moreland supported a climate disaster levy on coal exports,<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> and endorsed the Fossil Fuel Non-Proliferation Treaty Initiative, the first government jurisdiction in Australia to do so.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref><ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Council
Current composition
Councillors are elected from eleven single-member wards. The council's most recent election took place in October 2024. Since then, Merri-bek has consisted of the following councillors:
| Ward | Party | Councillor | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bababi Djinanang | Template:Australian party style | | Socialist Alliance | Sue Bolton | |
| Box Forest | Template:Australian party style | | Labor | Chris Miles | |
| Brunswick West | Template:Australian party style | | Greens | Ella Svensson | |
| Bulleke-bek | Template:Australian party style | | Greens | Jay Iwasaki | |
| Djirri-Djirri | Template:Australian party style | | Your Local Independents | Helen Davidson | Mayor |
| Harmony Park | Template:Australian party style | | Labor | Helen Politis | Deputy Mayor |
| Pascoe Vale South | Template:Australian party style | | Your Local Independents | Oscar Yildiz | |
| Pentridge | Template:Australian party style | | Independent | Natalie Abboud | |
| Randazzo | Template:Australian party style | | Greens | Liz Irvin | |
| Warrk-Warrk | Template:Australian party style | | Greens | Adam Pulford | |
| Westbreen | Template:Australian party style | | Labor | Katerine Theodosis | |
Mayor
The current mayor for 2024-2025 is Cr Helen Davidson, while the current deputy mayor for 2024-2025 is Cr Helen Politis.<ref>Template:Cite web</ref>
Past councillors
1996–2004 (10 wards)
| Year | Box Forest | Glencairn | Grandview | Hoffman | Lincoln Mills | Lygon | Merri | Moonah | Newlands | Westbreen | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | |||||||||||
| 1996 | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | John Sawyer (Independent) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Chris Iliopoulos (Independent) | rowspan="4" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Rosemary Kerr (Independent) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> |
rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Mike Hill (Labor) | rowspan="2" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Rod Higgins (Labor) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Glenyys Romanes (Labor) | rowspan="5" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Anthony Helou (Labor) | rowspan="4" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Andrew Rowe (Labor) | rowspan="5" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Stella Kariofyllidis (Labor) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Geoff Lutz (Independent) |
| 1999 | rowspan="4" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Ken Blair (Independent) | rowspan="4" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Robert Larocca (Labor) | rowspan="2" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Andy Ingham (Independent) | rowspan="3" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Leigh Snelling (Labor) | rowspan="3" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Melanie Raymond (Independent) <ref>Template:Cite web</ref> | ||||||||||
| 2000 | rowspan="3" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Vicki Yianoulatos (Labor) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2001 | rowspan="3" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Joe Caputo (Labor) | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2002 | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Stephen Roach<ref>Template:Cite web</ref> (Independent) | rowspan="2" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Fraser Brindley (Greens) | rowspan="3" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Mark Higginbotham (Labor) | rowspan="3" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Joe Ficarra (Labor) | ||||||||||||
2004–2024 (three wards)
North-East Ward
| Year | Councillor | Party | Councillor | Party | Councillor | Party | Councillor | Party | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | rowspan="3" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Anthony Helou | Labor | rowspan="10" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Mark O'Brien | Labor | rowspan="10" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Andrea Sharam | Greens | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Daniel De Lorenzis | Independent |
| 2008 | Michael Teti | Labor | Toby Archer | Greens | rowspan="2" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Stella Kariofyllidis | Labor | |||||
| 2012 | Lenka Thompson | Greens | ||||||||||
| 2012 | rowspan="6" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Sue Bolton | Socialist Alliance | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Rob Thompson | Independent Liberal | ||||||
| 2016 | Annalivia Carli Hannan | Labor | Natalie Abboud | Greens | rowspan="2" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Ali Irfanli | Independent | |||||
| 2020 | Sue Bolton Moreland Team | Adam Pulford | Greens | Helen Pavlidis-Mihalakos | Independent | |||||||
| 2022a | Socialist Alliance | Victorians | ||||||||||
| 2022b | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Independent | ||||||||||
North-West Ward
South Ward
| Year | Councillor | Party | Councillor | Party | Councillor | Party | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | rowspan="11" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Joe Caputo | Labor | rowspan="3" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Alice Pryor | Labor | rowspan="6" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Josephine Connellan | Greens |
| 2008 | Lambros Tapinos | Labor | |||||||
| 2012 | Meghan Hopper | Labor | Samantha Ratnam | Greens | |||||
| 2016 | rowspan="10" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Mark Riley | Greens | ||||||
| 2017 | Jess Dorney | Greens | |||||||
| 2020 | James Conlan | Greens | |||||||
| 2023 | rowspan="6" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Independent | |||||||
2024 (11 wards)
| Year | Bababi Djinanang | Box Forest | Brunswick West | Bulleke-bek | Djirri-Djirri | Harmony Park | Pascoe Vale South | Pentridge | Randazzo | Warrk-Warrk | Westbreen | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | Councillor | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Sue Bolton (Socialist Alliance) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Chris Miles (Labor) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Ella Svensson (Greens) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Jay Iwasaki (Greens) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Helen Davidson (Your Local Independents) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Helen Politis (Labor) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Oscar Yildiz (Your Local Independents) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Natalie Abboud (Independent) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Liz Irvin (Greens) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Adam Pulford (Greens) | rowspan="1" width="1px" Template:Australian party style | | Katerine Theodosis (Labor) |