Merri-bek Labor logo

Merri-bek Labor aims to bring our community together.

We are run by local members of the Merri-bek community who care about people and want an effective and progressive government to lead them.

Merri-bek Labor is part of the Victorian Labor Party and a proud part of our local community across Brunswick, Brunswick East, Brunswick West, Coburg, Coburg North, Fawkner, Glenroy, Gowanbrae, Hadfield, Oak Park, Pascoe Vale, and Pascoe Vale South. Small sections of the suburbs of Fitzroy North and Tullamarine are also part of this.

Image Source: State Library of Victoria, Fowler, Lyle 1891-1969 photographer

Meet our Merri-bek Labor Team

Across Merri-bek (Moreland), Labor represents and supports our community in local, state and federal government.

You can find the contact information for your local Labor representative below to get in contact with them.

Local Government

Labor currently has two representatives at Merri-bek City Council.
Cr Lambros Tapinos South Ward Moreland City Council Candidate for Moreland Labor

Cr. Lambros Tapinos

Current Deputy Mayor

Councillor for South Ward

Mobile: 0433 419 075

Email

Cr Annalivia Carli-Hannan North East Ward Moreland City Council Candidate for Moreland Labor

Cr. Annalivia Carli-Hannan

Councillor for North-East Ward

Mobile: 0418 263 525

Email

State Government

Labor is currently in government.

Anthony Cianflone Labor Member for Pascoe Vale

Anthony Cianflone

State Member for Pascoe Vale

Member of Legislative Assembly

Shops 14 & 15, 180 Gaffney Street Coburg North

(03) 9354 9935

Email

Sheena Watt Member of Legislative Council for the Northern Region

Sheena Watt

Member of Legislative Council for the Northern Region

Suite 1, Level 2, 55 St Andrews Place, East Melbourne, VIC 3002

(03) 9462 3966

Email

Federal Government

Labor is currently in government.

Peter Khalil Federal Labor Member for Wills Electorate

Peter Khalil Federal MP

House of Representatives

Federal Labor Member for Wills Electorate.

Office: 1/240 Sydney Road, Coburg, VIC, 3058

(03) 9350 5777

Parliament Office: PO Box 6022, House of Representatives, Parliament House, Canberra ACT 2600

Email

Victorian Labor Senator Jess Walsh

Senator Jess Walsh

Office: 240-250 Lygon Street, Brunswick East, VIC, 3057.

Postal address: PO Box 233, Brunswick East, VIC, 3057

(03) 9381 5448

Email

Our Local Community Plan

Working together we have developed a policy platform that will help to shape and bring our community back together at a local level.

Choose an area of interest from our policy platform below to learn more.

Our detailed policy and community plan can be viewed here.

Labor in Merri-bek will encourage development which:

  • Respects neighbourhood character and heritage
  • Provides appropriate parking
  • Adheres to design guidelines and height limits
  • Links in with public transport

Labor in Merri-bek will listen to the community:

  • Respond quickly to phonecalls and emails
  • Conduct regular ward meetings
  • Use on-line and video technology to ensure Council meetings are open
  • Increase communication through newsletters, social media, online platforms
  • Ensure that key messages are communicated in the main community languages

COVID19 has hit local business hard. We want to ensure that the local economy emerges from the pandemic stronger than ever.

Labor in Merri-bek will:

  • Support local businesses during the recovery from the pandemic
  • Revitalise the Brunswick Business Incubator
  • Expand the Business Incubation program to the northern part of Merri-bek
  • Support the viability and future of local shopping centres including making Sydney Road more friendly to pedestrians and cyclists

We acknowledge that many local people are struggling during the pandemic.

Labor in Merri-bek will:

  • Keep rate rises to CPI levels as determined by the Minister
  • Advocate for an increase to the pensioner rebate and develop a Hardship Policy that enables residents to defer rates or enter payment plans in time of hardship
  • Allocate spending in an equitable manner – spending will be effectively targeted, sustainable and produce clear service delivery outcomes
  • Set user charges within a range that reflects the social, cultural and economic make-up of Merri-bek

These issues have a substantial impact on daily life.

Labor in Merri-bek will:

  • Design and implement a Fair Parking Policy, working with communities to create local parking plans to prioritise the needs of the various users depending on the type of area
  • We will not de-regulate parking requirements for new developments or increase restricted parking zones around activity centres
  • Advocate with the State Government for improvements to public transport – such as the duplication of the Upfield Railway line north of Gowrie and increased frequency of bus services
  • Continue to implement the Merri-bek Bicycle Plan to improve the bicycle network in the municipality including the provision of marked bicycle lanes on roads and extensions to the off road networks
  • Implement innovative programs to encourage more walking trips and to increase pedestrian safety
  • Support the campaign to lower speed limits in local neighbourhood streets through traffic calming measures

Merri-bek (Moreland) has a shortage of open space and it is unevenly distributed.

Labor in Merri-bek will:

  • Continue to work to ensure that all residents have quality, accessible open space within safe walking distance, especially in higher density areas using open space levies paid by developers
  • Continue to develop parkland along our creek corridors and improve the natural environment so native wildlife can return to the creeks and wetlands
  • Ensure that the newly-created open space under the skyrail is developed in consultation with the local community

Sporting clubs and informal recreation opportunities are important to community life.

Labor in Merri-bek will:

  • Ensure that Council owned facilities are adequately maintained and improved
  • Protect sporting reserves and move to ensure that all public land and open space is utilised to its full potential
  • Upgrade sporting pavilions and change rooms to enable greater access and participation of sports by juniors and female teams
  • Investigate sharing arrangements of open space and sporting facilities at local schools, aiming to form partnerships that benefit both the local community and the schools

Labor in Merri-bek will support and improve Council services which contribute to the well-being of residents.

Labor in Merri-bek will:

  • Support an expansion of childrens’ services including supporting more community childcare places, and expanding Council’s own family day care scheme
  • Promote an inclusive Merri-bek community that provides access and equity to people with disability, their families and careers
  • Support the expansion of services at the Oxygen Youth Centre and implement the Merri-bek Youth Action Plan
  • Support home and community care and will lobby the Federal government to increase funding to Local Government to continue to run these services
  • Support an increase in the amount of affordable housing by pursuing community partnerships with housing providers to develop and advocate for land to be transferred to Council ownership for development as affordable housing

Merri-bek has a proud history of support for the arts and Labor in Merri-bek will continue this.

Labor in Merri-bek will:

  • Build the Arts Precinct in Brunswick as a significant regional arts precinct
  • Develop arts infrastructure in the northern areas of the municipality to ensure that all residents have access to the arts and that art, music and drama groups have appropriate spaces for performance and local expansion
  • Coordinate a range of engaging cultural and artistic events, exhibitions and performances throughout the year

Merri-bek’s five libraries are important meeting places and support the learning, technology and recreational needs of the community.

Labor in Merri-bek will:

  • Complete the Wheatsheaf Community Hub in Glenroy which will include a new library, educational spaces and a health facility
  • Continue to ensure that the funds for the purchase of new books, audio visual and electronic resources
  • Support our libraries in providing more activities and programs including rhyme time and story time in different languages for children and families

Merri-bek Labor has a proud record of promoting strong environment policies including the establishment of CERES and the Australian Energy Foundation and achieved our goal of making Merri-bek City Council carbon neutral in 2012.

Merri-bek Labor believes it’s time to move towards zero carbon emissions.

Labor in Merri-bek will:

  • Develop initiatives and programs to reduce our community emissions to zero and become a strong advocate for climate action by all levels of Government
  • Encourage regular recycling and the four-bin system aiming for zero waste sent to landfill
  • Retain two hard waste collections per year and encourage more recycling of more items, including electronics

Want to support a Labor government?

Volunteer to help make change

Help us elect progressive Labor candidates across Moreland by getting involved.

Everyone is welcome, and we provide free training and support to help you along the way.

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Copyright Merri-bek Labor 2022. All rights reserved.

Acknowledgement of country: We acknowledge the Traditional Owners of this land and the Wurundjeri Woi-wurrung people of the local area we represent. We pay our respects to the Elders, past, present and emerging.

Authorised by L.Tapinos. 3/6 Howson Street Brunswick West

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