Melbourne (VIC)
Melbourne is a federal electoral division in VIC covering 39.4 km², currently held by Sarah Witty (ALP). It is the 3rd smallest of 150 divisions by area and the 9th most populous of 149 divisions by population. Australian Government grant awards placed here total $1.0bn across 308 awards in the 4 months to 6 Nov 2026 (collection began 1 Jul 2026).
See the Melbourne boundary summary for the state and council areas and suburbs it covers.
Statistics
| Area | 39.4 km² |
|---|---|
| Population (2021 Census) | 199,964 |
| Population density | 5,072.65/km² |
| Median age | 31 |
| Median personal income | $1,055/week |
| Median household income | $1,840/week |
| Median family income | $2,622/week |
| Median rent | $400/week |
| Median mortgage repayment | $2,100/month |
| Average household size | 1.9 |
| Average persons per bedroom | 1 |
How Melbourne compares
Ranked against the other federal divisions with data for the same measure; "median" is the median across those divisions' values.
- Area: 39.4 km², the 3rd smallest of 150 divisions with data; 13% of the median of 310.8 km².
- Population (2021 Census): 199,964, the 9th most populous of 149 divisions with data; 19% above the median of 168,080.
- Population density: 5,072.6/km², the most densely populated of 149 divisions with data; 9.7 times the median of 522.5/km².
- Median personal income: $1,055/week, the 16th highest of 149 divisions with data; 36% above the median of $778/week.
- Median rent: $400/week, the 41st highest of 149 divisions with data; 7% above the median of $375/week.
Where Melbourne is near the top or bottom of a list, see: Smallest federal electorates by area · Most populous federal electorates · Most densely populated federal electorates · Federal electorates with the highest median income. All rankings →
Election (2025)
| Enrolment | 113,369 |
|---|---|
| Turnout | 88.1% (+0.05 swing) |
| Informal vote | 2.43% (-0.59 swing) |
| Result (two-candidate-preferred) | Sarah Witty (ALP) 53.02% (margin 3.0pts) (+8.6 swing) |
| National benchmark (notional Labor v Coalition) | Australian Labor Party 73.97% (margin 24.0pts) (+0.88 swing) notional |
First preferences, every candidate (★ = elected):
| Candidate | Party | Votes | % | Swing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adam Bandt | The Greens | 38,457 | 39.46% | -5.27pts |
| Sarah Witty ★ | Australian Labor Party | 30,541 | 31.34% | +5.68pts |
| Steph Hunt | Liberal | 19,267 | 19.77% | +0.24pts |
| Anthony Koutoufides | Independent | 3,204 | 3.29% | +3.29pts |
| Melanie Casey | Pauline Hanson's One Nation | 2,438 | 2.5% | +1.66pts |
| Helen Huang | FUSION | Planet Rescue | Whistleblower Protection | Innovation | 1,926 | 1.98% | +1.98pts |
| Tim Smith | Independent | 1,615 | 1.66% | +1.66pts |
Grants received
Grant awards published on GrantConnect, 1 Jul 2026 to 6 Nov 2026 (Political Gadgets' collection began with July 2026 publications). Source: GrantConnect, via Political Gadgets' grants page for Melbourne.
| Total value | $1,044,924,931 (308 awards) |
|---|---|
| Delivered in the electorate | $135,758,917 (104 awards) |
| Recipient based here (delivery location not given) | $909,166,014 (204 awards) |
Each award is placed by its delivery postcode, or by the recipient's registered postcode when no delivery postcode is given. Many of the second kind are local organisations whose delivery location simply wasn't recorded, but they also include national organisations headquartered here, which is why city-centre seats can show large totals for money that is actually spent elsewhere.
Top recipients
| Recipient | Awards | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Orica Australia Pty Ltd | 1 | $432,000,000 |
| Multiple recipients (aggregated award) | 6 | $101,760,174 |
| University of Melbourne | 47 | $75,665,063 |
| Headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation Ltd | 1 | $74,646,000 |
| Murdoch Children's Research Institute | 16 | $43,354,379 |
Largest awards
| Award | Recipient | Program | Placed by | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GA567700 | Orica Australia Pty Ltd | Hydrogen Headstart Round 1 | Recipient based here | $432,000,000 |
| GA572671 | Headspace National Youth Mental Health Foundation Ltd | Headspace Core Activities | Recipient based here | $74,646,000 |
| GA590216 | Multiple recipients (aggregated award) | Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System – VIC - Q3 - 2026 | Delivered here | $49,038,971 |
| GA575195 | Multiple recipients (aggregated award) | Australian Apprenticeships Incentive System – VIC | Delivered here | $43,144,117 |
| GA568014 | The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists | Grwng Upskilling Mntl Hlth Wrkfrc Psy | Recipient based here | $31,770,200 |
See every grant award in Melbourne →
Member
| Member | Sarah Witty (ALP) |
|---|---|
| Positions held | — |
Voting attendance
100.0% (265 of 265 possible votes). Source: Australian Parliament division records.
Expenses claimed, 2025Q03 to 2026Q02
Total: $701,270 over 4 quarters. Source: IPEA, via Political Gadgets' expenses section.
| Employee Travel | $82,425 |
|---|---|
| International Travel | $11,750 |
| Office Facilities | $291,394 |
| Office Administration | $245,016 |
| Other Car Costs | $18,323 |
| Scheduled Commercial Transport | $22,364 |
| Unscheduled Commercial Transport | $220 |
| Travel Allowance | $24,070 |
| Telecommunications | $1,990 |
Clusters
| Position tier | Backbencher (84 electorates) |
|---|---|
| Area band | Under 100 km² (32 electorates) |
| State | VIC (38 electorates) |
| Urban/rural | Urban/Suburban (98 electorates) |
Previous / next in Victoria (alphabetical): ← McEwen · Menzies →
Other electorates in Victoria
Aston · Ballarat · Bendigo · Bruce · Calwell · Casey · Chisholm · Cooper · Corangamite · Corio · Deakin · Dunkley · Flinders · Fraser · Gellibrand · Gippsland · Goldstein · Gorton · Hawke · Holt · Hotham · Indi · Isaacs · Jagajaga · Kooyong · La Trobe · Lalor · Macnamara · Mallee · Maribyrnong · McEwen · Menzies · Monash · Nicholls · Scullin · Wannon · Wills
AEC profile · They Vote For You · Sarah Witty on Political Gadgets
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Geometry: AEC federal electoral boundaries (2025). Demographics: ABS Data API (Census 2021, CED 2021 boundaries). Election results: AEC 2025 tally room. Expenses: IPEA via indexpenses. Grants: GrantConnect via grants. Attendance & positions: Political Gadgets' own Australian Parliament division-record data. See the popup for licensing and caveats.