Council’s vision is for a sustainable Merri-bek that supports a resilient community who live in an attractive, accessible and safe environment, with a strong local economy and services that meet their diverse needs.

The Woi wurrung people are the original inhabitants of Merri-bek. Merri Creek was a meeting place for the Woi wurrung and three other cultural language groups.

Today, the Merri-bek City Council has a resident population of more than 160,000 people, of which more than 30% were born overseas.

The top 10 countries of birth for residents in Merri-bek (excluding Australia) are Italy, India, Greece, United Kingdom, Lebanon, China, New Zealand and Turkey, Pakistan and Nepal. The top 10 languages spoken at home in Merri-bek (other than English) are Italian, Arabic, Greek, Turkish, Mandarin, Urdu. Nepali, Vietnamese, Punjabi and Hindi.

Council has a range of services to support Merri-bek residents born overseas and who speak languages other than English, including new citizens, asylum seekers and international students.