Legislative Assembly · District of Brunswick
Mel Yuan
Last verified 29 Sept 2026
Seat context — Brunswick›
Brunswick is a compact (14 km²) inner-north Melbourne seat covering Brunswick, Brunswick East, Carlton North, Fitzroy North, Princes Hill and part of Brunswick West. It was held by the Australian Greens' Tim Read, who increased his margin to 13.5% at the 2022 election, reportedly the safest Greens-held seat at any level of Australian government. Read announced in January 2026 that he would not recontest after a metastatic cancer diagnosis, and died on 19 September 2026, aged 64, while still the sitting MP — the seat has been vacant since. Merri-bek councillor Adam Pulford won a three-way Greens preselection contest in March 2026 to become the party's candidate for the November 2026 general election.
Background
A former school teacher who now works in IT, per Brunswick Voice. RReported — BV-YUANBrunswick Voice, "Independent not afraid to be a dissenting voice"View source
Volunteers weekly teaching computer coding to primary school students. RReported — BV-YUANBrunswick Voice, "Independent not afraid to be a dissenting voice"View source
No employer is named, and her work was not independently confirmed.
Co-founded Brunswick Communities for Nature in 2013, which grows and distributes indigenous plants for local gardens and green spaces. RReported — BV-YUANBrunswick Voice, "Independent not afraid to be a dissenting voice"View source
Stood as an independent in Bulleke-bek Ward at the 2024 Merri-bek City Council election. VVerified — VEC-MERRIBEK-2024Victorian Electoral Commission, "2024 Merri-bek City Council election results"View source
She has held no elected or party office.
A Brunswick resident since 2002, and a mother of two children at Brunswick Secondary College. RReported — BV-YUANBrunswick Voice, "Independent not afraid to be a dissenting voice"View source
Her campaign authorisation gives an address in Union Street, Brunswick. SSelf-stated — YUAN-AUTHMel Yuan, "Authorised by"View source
Platform
Where they stand, issue by issue — grounded in 2026 Victorian polling, not assumed. Every position is tagged with how we know it.
An independent "with a strong focus on public sector reform, education, community participation and transparent governance".
"Good government starts with listening, asking questions and being prepared to challenge assumptions."
Wants a "contest of ideas", and to provide "dissenting opinions at times" at forums and panels.
What Victorians say matters most
5 poll-led issuesCost of living and crime have ranked 1st or 2nd in every Victorian poll since mid‑2025, with debt and housing close behind — see schema §3 for the polling this grouping is based on (DemosAU, Ipsos Issues Monitor, Roy Morgan). The 0-10 'priorityScore' on each candidate's issue entries is NOT a measure of true importance or an independent ranking of what a candidate actually cares about. It reflects how much detail and specificity exists in what that candidate has actually said publicly on that issue -- a named policy mechanism and a verified voting record score higher than a one-line stated priority, regardless of the issue's real-world weight. Render this distinction in the UI wherever the score appears; do not label it just 'Priority' without the qualifier.
Cost of living
Yuan has made no cost-of-living statement in the sources found.
Crime and community safety
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Housing affordability and supply
Advocates "housing policies that are both affordable and well planned", with greater transparency in planning decisions.
Questions the state government's housing approach, per Brunswick Voice.
State government debt and fiscal management
Her focus on public sector reform and transparent governance is a management theme; no debt or budget position was found.
Infrastructure and public transport delivery
Backs "investment in accessible public transport, safer cycling infrastructure and transport planning that recognises the diverse needs of commuters".
A 21 September 2026 post on her site discusses Bicycle Victoria's "5% for Safer Streets" and notes Brunswick already has strong, funded cycling support through Merri-bek.
Critiques public transport systems, per Brunswick Voice.
In 2024 she argued privately owned, for-profit e-scooters should not use public open space or roadside infrastructure in dense Brunswick.
Also on the record
6 substance issuesThese don't top “biggest issue” polling, but carry real 2026 policy weight and genuine differences between parties.
Education and training
Wants to "reduce unnecessary bureaucracy for teachers, improve teacher retention, support high-quality classroom teaching" and direct resources to areas of greatest student need.
Names education as a primary policy focus; she is a former teacher with children at Brunswick Secondary College.
Health and healthcare access
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Urban planning and housing density
Wants greater transparency in planning decisions.
Advocates better community consultation for open space planning, and says tree-planting targets have led to waste and poor outcomes, wanting urban greening targeted at biodiversity.
Believes Brunswick should keep its diverse social and economic fabric.
Climate and energy transition
Says "Victoria's transition to cleaner energy must be carefully managed", supporting workers, regional communities and industries through change.
Supports practical environmental policies that improve biodiversity, expand urban greening, strengthen weed management and build climate resilience.
Advocates moving Victoria away from household gas, per Brunswick Voice.
Treaty and First Nations affairs
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Regional and rural Victoria
Not detailed in sources reviewed.
Local & party context
2 fieldsNot scored the way the eleven issues above are — these are fixed facts about the seat and the party, not positions with more or less emphasis behind them.
Cycling infrastructure and safer streets in Brunswick. SSelf-stated — YUAN-HOMEMel Yuan, "Mel Yuan — Independent candidate for the STATE seat of Brunswick 2026"View source
E-scooter use of public open space and roadside infrastructure in Brunswick. RReported — BV-COUNCIL2024Brunswick Voice, "Roads, rates, rubbish and more: council hopefuls come under the spotlight"View source
Community consultation on open space and biodiversity-focused urban greening. RReported — BV-COUNCIL2024Brunswick Voice, "Roads, rates, rubbish and more: council hopefuls come under the spotlight"View source
Track record & prior candidacies
Contested Bulleke-bek Ward at the 2024 Merri-bek City Council election as an independent, receiving 1,213 first-preference votes (15.55%); not elected, the single vacancy going to Greens candidate Jay Iwasaki. VVerified — VEC-MERRIBEK-2024Victorian Electoral Commission, "2024 Merri-bek City Council election results"View source
Brunswick Voice reports she has stood three times for Merri-bek council as an independent; only the 2024 result was retrieved. RReported — BV-YUANBrunswick Voice, "Independent not afraid to be a dissenting voice"View source
She is not among the candidates in the 2022 Brunswick state election, so this is her first state contest. VVerified — WIKI-BRUNSWICK-RESULTSWikipedia, "Electoral results for the district of Brunswick"View source
Campaign, money & endorsements
Campaign logistics
Endorsements & Donations
Per the Victorian Electoral Commission's funding guidance (vec.vic.gov.au, accessed 2026-09-29 via search snippets of its independent-candidate and registered-party funding pages), a candidate is eligible for public election funding if they receive at least 4% of first-preference votes in their contest, or are elected. Funding is reimbursed against an audited statement of campaign expenditure, and advance funding must be repaid in full if the threshold is missed.
Yuan is an independent and has not contested a state election before; she would have to reach 4% herself. She told Brunswick Voice she is "completely self-funded". Her 2024 council result of 15.55% does not count towards state funding.