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Why choose to invest in Merri-bek?

Located in Melbourne’s inner north, the City of Merri-bek covers 50.9 square kilometres.  It lies between 4 and 14 kilometres north of Melbourne’s CBD.  It is bordered by the Moonee Ponds Creek to the west, Merri Creek to the east, Park Street to the south and the Western Ring Road to the north.  It’s only a short drive to Melbourne Airport.

The City of Merri-bek is vibrant and known for its shopping precincts (Lygon Street, Sydney Road and Barkly Square), cafés and restaurants, live music venues, festivals and events, and a community of artists and creative industries.

It is home to two major hospitals:

  • John Fawkner Private Hospital
  • Brunswick Private Hospital

It provides easy access to major research, education and training institutions including:

  • University of Melbourne, Parkville
  • RMIT, City and Brunswick
  • LaTrobe University, Bundoora
  • Melbourne Polytechnic, Preston
  • Kangan Institute, Broadmeadows, Essendon, Moonee Ponds
  • Parkville’s National Employment and Innovation Cluster

It has good accessibility to major arterial roads and freeways:

  • City Link
  • Calder Freeway
  • Metropolitan Ring Road/Western Ring Road
  • Eastern Freeway
  • Sydney Road/Hume Highway
  • Brunswick Road
  • Bell Street
  • St Georges Road

The City of Merri-bek and is one of Melbourne’s most populated municipalities with more than 180,000 people.  Its population is expected to grow by an extra 43,000 residents and 18,000 households by 2036.  Most of the growth will occur by 2026, with the highest population growth in Brunswick and Brunswick East.

The City is culturally and linguistically diverse, with residents speaking more than 140 different languages at home.

It has a talented and diverse workforce:

  • 102,727 employed residents
  • 14,821 local businesses
  • highly skilled resident base with half of its employed residents having a bachelor degree or higher

It has a creative and exciting culture that is attracting young professionals:

  • festivals and events like the Brunswick Music Festival and Sydney Road Street Party
  • eclectic shopping
  • vibrant café and restaurant strips
  • live music venues

State Government’s Brunswick Design District (BDD)

In 2018, the State Government identified the area within Brunswick around the Sydney Road and Dawson Street intersection, and RMIT’s Brunswick Design Campus, including Brunswick’s industrial land zones and civic and cultural precincts, as the Brunswick Design District (BDD).

Learn more about the Brunswick Design District.

This announcement placed Brunswick as a precinct with the potential to become a state and national leader in fashion, art, creativity, and a place where design enterprises would set up and thrive.

Key enterprise and community sites within the district include:

  • Brudi at 420 Victoria St Brunswick
  • 33 Saxon Street, Brunswick

The BDD is a collaboration between RMIT University, Merri-bek City Council and the State Government's Creative Victoria to create opportunities and activity that support the development of the precinct. The aims of the BDD are to:

  • grow local jobs and opportunities for design-related businesses
  • attract high-potential start-ups and design entrepreneurs
  • develop educational programs and pathways to employment
  • encourage industry partnerships and collaborations
  • develop support programs that explore and connect with local and export markets to accelerate commercialisation; and
  • develop accessible and affordable community infrastructure

Learn more on the Brunswick Design District webpage.

Read the BDD Memorandum of Understanding (PDF).

What are our significant infrastructure projects?

Major building and development projects in progress

Learn more about Merri-bek's key industries

Find out more about Merri-bek's key industries on our Which sectors to invest in webpage.