Credit: AAPPolice have uncovered a horrific scene after a welfare check turned into a murder investigation following the discovery of a woman’s body with multiple stab wounds Homicide Squad detectives have charged a woman following the death of the woman in Blackburn South in Victoria on Tuesday Police were initially called to a property on Holroyd Court for a welfare check shortly after 11am before discovering a 78-year-old Blackburn South woman deceased inside the address with a number of stab wounds Get the first look at the digital newspaper curated daily stories and breaking headlines delivered to your inbox Get the NewsletterBy continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.A 47-year-old Ringwood woman was then arrested nearby a short time later She has subsequently been charged with murder and will appear at Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday Police have confirmed that both women involved in the incident are known to each other Latest EditionEdition Edition 5 May 20255 May 2025All-powerful Anthony Albanese says give me some R.E.S.P.E.C.T Eastern Region Crime Squad detectives are investigating two separate crime sprees across Melbourne last night Officers performing Operation Trinity duties were called to six incidents in Melbourne's south-east all involving a group of males and a red Honda Civic that has since been recovered by police: • Six male offenders attended a service station on Balwyn Road Balwyn about 6.50pm and stole cash and cigarettes • Five males attended a service station on Manningham Road in Bulleen about 7pm and stole cash and cigarettes • Four male offenders attended a service station on Middleborough Road Blackburn South about 7.50pm and stole cash and cigarettes • Two males attended a service station on Kangaroo Road before jumping the counter and stealing cash • Six males attended a service station on the corner of Centre Dandenong and Grange roads Moorabbin about 8.45pm and stole cash and cigarettes • Four males attended a service station on Lower Dandenong Road Two male staff members were assaulted and nothing was stolen Detectives believe these six incidents are linked another group of males were committing a crime spree across the eastern suburbs: • Five males attended a service station on Ferntree Gully Road • Four males attempted to force entry to a supermarket on Canterbury Road • Five males attended a service station on Mitcham Road Mitcham about 8.35pm and assaulted a staff member before stealing cigarettes and cash They proceeded next door to a takeaway restaurant and stole cash before fleeing • Four offenders attended a service station on High Street Templestowe Lower about 8.56pm and fled empty-handed when they observed a customer in the store Detectives believe these four incidents are linked dashcam footage or any information that could assist investigators is urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or submit a confidential report online at www.crimestoppersvic.com.au Victoria Police has a dedicated operation targeting burglars and car thieves from dusk to dawn across Melbourne there are large numbers of additional police including members of the Dog Squad specifically tasked with preventing and responding to burglaries and car thefts each night police arrested 688 burglars and car thieves almost 1,650 times over the past year That equates to more than four burglars and car thieves arrested every single day Operation Trinity is Victoria Police's most well-resourced operation with over 140,000 policing hours dedicated solely to this operation in 2024 the Air Wing spent well over a thousand hours in the sky last year tracking burglars and car thieves as part of Trinity Latest police intelligence indicates that as many as 90% of all aggravated burglaries in key hotspots are through unlocked doors/windows or unsuccessful attempts when the offender has discovered the property is locked police implore the community to take simple steps such as locking all doors and windows on your home and car The data tells is undeniable - if you lock your doors your chances of falling victim dramatically decrease Please use the below data for media requests seeking Operation Trinity arrest figures These figures can also be added to briefings to support spokespeople • 688 offenders arrested a combined 1,642 times in connection to aggravated burglaries where a car(s) was stolen • Arrests made in relation to 1,788 burglaries where cars were stolen • 65.4% of these arrests were related to child offenders aged between 10 - 17 • 82.8% of these arrests were offenders aged under 25 • All figures relate solely to Operation Trinity and its areas of operation which include Boroondara/Manningham/Monash/Whitehorse A grandmother allegedly stabbed to death by her daughter has been identified Irene Herzel, 78, was found with multiple stab wounds at a home on Holroyd Court in Blackburn South in Melbourne's east just after 11am on Tuesday Officers had been called to the property for a welfare check A 47-year-old woman was arrested shortly after police attended the home and will appear at the Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday John Hurley lives on the same street and described Ms Herzel as a 'lovely and pleasant person' 'I used to walk past her place on most days and she would be out there He gave lemons to Ms Herzel and in return she would bring over something made with them (She) just wanted to be a really nice person 'I am just shocked this happened because she was so lovely.' 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A 78-year-old woman has been found dead with multiple stab wounds inside a home in Melbourne Police discovered her body during a welfare check at a property on Holroyd Court in Blackburn South just after 11am on Tuesday A 47-year-old woman has been arrested and charged with her murder She is set to appear at Melbourne Magistrates' Court on Wednesday Confidence is rebounding in Melbourne’s auction market following the Reserve Bank’s decision to keep interest rates on hold at 4.35 per cent earlier in the week PropTrack data shows Victoria recorded a preliminary 63.9 per cent clearance rate from 560 early auction results available on Saturday Ray White Victoria and Tasmania chief auctioneer Jeremy Tyrrell said that for the past six weeks his agency held more than 200 or more Victorian auctions every week RELATED: Melbourne school leavers could face 21-year wait to buy a house: Finder Victoria housing crisis: One million homeowners and tenants living in financial stress School zone home price hotspots revealed in new ‘Bang for Buck’ report “Buyers hit the market this week with a little more confidence following the Reserve Bank’s decision on Tuesday to keep interest rates at bay,” Mr Tyrrell said Melbourne-based auctioneer Andy Reid said widespread speculation on whether rates would be hiked or reduced in the next few months was confusing some buyers and sellers with many unsure of what their next move should be But sought-after properties are still achieving outstanding results including a three-bedroom house at 15 Perth St, Blackburn South. Mr Reid called Saturday’s auction for the property Five bidders competed for the home listed by Ray White Box Hill’s Bonnie Shang and Angus Liu a laundry with a workbench and a single carport feature within the home Also on Saturday, a two-bedroom unit at 1/4 Robert St, Chadstone, fetched $828,000 after being called on the market at $740,000 Ray White Oakleigh’s Nick Strilakos said a first-home buyer couple who had been looking to purchase for about six months snapped up the home “It was affordable real estate in Chadstone,” he said “Presentation is really important at the moment – people are reluctant to do renovations at the moment because of the costs people want to move in and put their feet up.” lead lighting and Baltic pine floors are among the inclusions And Nelson Alexander principal Charlie Barham’s listing of a Federation-era house at 452 George St, Fitzroy, passed in with no bids But multiple buyers approached him after the hammer fell and the home sold for $1.67m Nelson Alexander sales director Nicholas West said in the past fortnight buyers had generally become more assertive at auctions “I think certainly the view is when rates remain on hold for a while people say ‘Now’s the time to make a decision,’” Mr West said A total of 1148 auctions are expected across the state next week MORE: PropTrack: Melbourne rental crisis: Affordable areas labelled a ‘dying breed’ Vic state budget: Industry ‘deeply concerned’ by lack of initiatives to solve housing crisis Homebuyer Fund to get $700m shot in the arm, before being dumped third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. Remove items from your saved list to add more Add articles to your saved list and come back to them anytime ShareThis venue appears in the new cafe collection. See all stories.Brunchy fare at Peach Orchard Grove cafe in Blackburn South.SuppliedPeach Orchard Grove has taken up residence in a former milk bar on a generous corner in Blackburn South there's a takeaway window and al fresco seating galore for those with pooches in tow Luke Pantalone and former Carlton player Andrew Carrazzo opened the cafe last year, following their involvement in Matilda cafe in Mont Albert North The corner cafe's peachy colour scheme and takeaway window.SuppliedAdvertisementAt Peach Orchard Grove they're serving simple breakfast fare such as acai bowls and egg and bacon bagels including a cauliflower and kale pesto number Coffee is by Mount Waverley-based roasters Inglewood 130 Fulton Road, Blackburn South, peachorchardgrove.com.au Lumen People joins the block party in Victoria Street, North MelbourneA petite new cafe slides into an unassuming strip of shops in a hot pocket of inner Melbourne. ‘Inviting and warm’ Sunhands might be your new favourite Carlton cafe and wine barIt’s a bright all-day spot for coffee, lunch and wine from the crew behind Heartattack & Vine. ShareLicense this articleMore: 19 Ayr St, Blackburn South A MORE than $2 million pre-auction offer has catapulted a Blackburn South property into the suburb’s upper echelons The four-bedroom house at 19 Ayr St was scheduled to go under the hammer on April 8 but strong offers beforehand convinced the home seller to let it go early according to Buxton Box Hill director Jim Chen Mr Chen said a $2.1 million offer was above the level of others interested in the home “The rest were close to $2 million,” Mr Chen said It’s only the second time a house has sold for more than $2 million in the suburb comes with a range of elegant entertainment spaces around the house Mr Chen added it was a good result for the home seller who had watched the home pass in for $2 million at auction last year He said the quality of the property and a location in the Box Hill High School zone had appealed to the local buyer A water feature in the backyard caps off the appointments on offer at 19 Ayr St And he’s tipped the suburb should expect more big figures in the future SUBURB PROFILE: BLACKBURN SOUTH “The market in Blackburn South has been changing this year,” Mr Chen said but this part of the Blackburn South area is still in the Box Hill High School zone He said he anticipated the trend would continue features a convenient indoor-outdoor flow to suit entertainers and guests but Box Hill South has become very expensive and they turn to the next suburb,” Mr Chen said “So I think we will see more homes being designed and built The house was listed by sales agents Eric Zhang and Winston Wei after 30 years with one familyCharlotte Durut Built in 1927 on a pear and apple orchard, 41-43 Branksome Grove, Blackburn South is now for sale with price expectations of $3 million-$3.3 million BUYERS’ dreams could come to fruition in Blackburn South with a former farmhouse on the market for the first time in 30 years Built in 1927 on an apple and pear orchard, 41-43 Branksome Grove is on 2812sq m and has been restored by owners Mrs Battaglia described the five-bedroom charmer as a “little oasis in the city” “There is a lovely feel about it that takes you back in time.” Mrs Battaglia said the home had been repainted and restumped It had been an ideal place for her five children to grow up Several rooms have gas log fireplaces and grand chandeliers “We had a letter written to us about 10-15 years ago by the children of the man who built the house,” she said including a bomb shelter that was built in the gardens in the 1940s “But we never found it so it was probably filled in.” the home still includes fruit trees in the landscaped gardens as well as a wood-fired pizza oven and barbecue The stylish kitchen is contemporary and spacious “We hope it goes to another family and they’ll stay here for another 30 years,” Mrs Battaglia said Barry Plant Blackburn auctioneer Terry Burgoyne said after 30 years working in the local property market “It’s one of the last large undeveloped parcels of land in Manningham,” he said peace and quiet and the house is very well executed.” The home has a price guide of $3 million-$3.3 million Relax by the fireplace and head outdoors to the gardens in the main living zone news and the hottest openings served to your inbox ShareLicense this articleMore: This is probably not the page you’re looking for A supermarket in the heart of a Blackburn South retail strip has sold for $29.3 million reflecting a 2.46 per cent return – the second lowest yield for an Australian asset of this type Westrent Properties’ Emmanuel Zahra is the buyer Leiba Commercial’s Marc Leiba and Jonathan Rosenthal brokered the off-market sale Their deal comes hot on the heels of another eastern suburb supermarket investment trading for c$25m at a record sub two per cent yield Meanwhile, the vendor of 383 Whitehorse Road, Balwyn a freestanding Woolworths on a 4700 square metre Commercial 1 zoned block is also likely to reap the benefits of this strong market after 28 years of ownership – the November 12 auction expected to deliver a $35m-plus price Vinci Carbone is marketing that property – expected to be one of the state’s biggest street auctions results The freestanding building contains 3495 sqm of area The long-standing tenant is on a lease expiring in 2030 with options Mr Leiba said the off-market campaign generated significant interest “Woolworths and Coles backed supermarkets are considered the country’s most recession proof investments,” he added (story continues below) we still need to get our groceries,” according to the executive “Buyers understand what the clean and passive covenants are worth and what they have to pay to get their hands on something these days” The Blackburn South deal comes a day since we reported Woolworths’ development arm Fabcot banked $36m – a price reflecting a four pc yield – for a modern supermarket near Wollongong In August, Charter Hall outlaid $25.9m for an asset of this type in Sydney’s Five Dock a consortium led by the fruit and vegetable trader Rocky Surace outlaid $17.115m – a 2.57pc yield – for a Clayton supermarket near to another property it held – a deal described by the buyer as a landbank moreso than an investment (the parcel has the potential to make way for a nine level apartment building) Two years ago, an offshore investor outlaid $15.3m for a Coles backed Mentone asset of this type That property also has high density development upside should the occupier not renew its lease in 2027 Subscribe to our newsletter at the bottom of this page A former property analyst and print journalist Marc is the publisher of realestatesource.com.au Forgot your password? You will receive mail with link to set new password Back to login they had no idea it would one day be worth more than $1 million “I don’t think we were market-savvy enough to really have an idea of what was going to happen,” Mr Thompson said The couple bought the three-bedroom home for $690,000 and were attracted to the middle-ring suburb in the east for its leafy outlook As Melbourne’s housing market recovers from its downturn Blackburn South is one of seven suburbs where house prices have rebounded to more than $1 million after falling into the $900,000s earlier in 2019 according to Domain data for the December quarter “When we bought the house we were pregnant with our first kid so the vision was sitting inside in the living room being able to watch the kids run around in the backyard,” Mr Thompson said the couple moved overseas for Ms Nakada’s work eventually coming back to Melbourne and buying a house in McKinnon to be close to their sons’ school They are now selling their Blackburn South home for $1.1 million to $1.2 million – just above the suburb’s median house price of $1.03 million Other suburbs now in the million-dollar club included Brunswick Moorabbin and Wheelers Hill – where prices increased by up to $55,000 Unit prices in Toorak also hit a $1 million median for the quarter for the first time ever Australia’s median house price rising back to peak levels as key markets rebound: Domain House Price Report Melbourne unit prices at record high despite construction woes: report Melbourne’s inner-city suburbs lead the property market recovery: Domain House Price Report Domain senior research analyst Nicola Powell said while these suburbs had seen house prices increase in the most recent quarter prices in these areas were still between 3.9 and 12.37 per cent lower than their 2017 peak She said these comparatively discounted prices made the suburbs more attractive to buyers “Families are probably moving to these areas [and] getting more bang for their buck,” Dr Powell said She said while prices in these suburbs were lower than a year ago they had still seen strong long-term growth “All of these areas have got 30 to 40 per cent growth over five years so have seen a significant increase over a five-year period.” Melbourne suburbs that now have million-dollar medians Source: Domain House Price Report December quarter 2019 Jellis Craig Whitehorse director Daniel Bullen said he had seen more homes in Blackburn South selling for much more than the asking price in the past six months or so “Since June last year we’ve seen some really notable sales – some have gone for nearly $400,000 above the reserve,” Mr Bullen said He said the area attracted families wanting to be in the Box Hill High School zone with many buying 1950s and 1960s homes on large blocks that were ripe for renovating “There’s also a lot of knock over and rebuild,” he said “It’s old money changing over – people who have been there 30 or 40 years The Baby Boomers are moving on and the young families are buying in.” On the other side of town in Brunswick West, it was also a story of changing demographics, with young families looking to upgrade from smaller homes in neighbouring Brunswick, Nelson Alexander Brunswick agent Jonathan West said. “It’s the schools, the bigger blocks and the quieter streets,” Mr West said. “It’s typically been the poor cousin, but that has started to change.” He said a lot of properties were selling for more than $1 million and more buyers were coming into the market now, increasing the demand for properties and pushing prices up – although, he said, Brunswick West still had “extraordinary value”, considering its location and amenities. Dr Powell expected to see more suburbs included in the $1 million club in the next quarter. “There are a handful that are almost there, and I’m anticipating seeing that growth continue,” she said. More properties were likely to come onto the market between now and Easter, as vendors regained confidence in the market and buyers continued to take advantage of low interest rates, she said. “It should help to address some of the demand that the market is experiencing which is obviously helping to drive up prices.” The information on this website is intended to be of a general nature only and doesn't consider your objectives, financial situation or needs. where we are privileged to live and operate Senator threatens to yank South Africa from US trade deal if it 'works with the CCP to bully Taiwan' 2167TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — US Senator Marsha Blackburn threatened to remove South Africa from a US trade agreement if it continues to pressure Taiwan into moving its representative office.  In a post on X, Blackburn said “The United States must stand with Taiwan and stand up to South Africa.” She added if South Africa works with the CCP to bully Taiwan the United States must consider serious consequences including removal of South Africa from the AGOA trade program." "The United States must not provide trade benefits to countries that prioritize China’s influence over democratic partnerships." The ministry said that the new demand amid negotiations “shows China’s suppression of Taiwan in South Africa has intensified.” The ministry reiterated that Taiwan rejects South Africa’s unilateral breach of bilateral agreements The ministry said Taiwan will continue to communicate with South Africa based on the principles of equality and dignity.  She has repeatedly co-signed letters advocating a US-Taiwan trade agreement and supporting Taiwan’s participation in the Indo-Pacific Economic Framework She has also introduced multiple pro-Taiwan bills in Congress, including the Taiwan Symbols of Sovereignty Act in February 2020 and the Taiwan Democracy Defense Lend-Lease Act in July 2022, per CNA The latter sought to authorize the US president to provide military assistance to strengthen Taiwan's defense capabilities through a lend-lease mechanism The United States must stand with Taiwan and stand up to South Africa.As I previously stated, if South Africa works with the CCP to bully Taiwan, the United States must consider serious consequences, including removal of South Africa from the AGOA trade program. The United… https://t.co/VJ3mY03hRp Taiwan says South African demand to move office shows Chinese suppression South Africa intensifies call for Taiwan to move office out of capital South Africa willing to discuss representative office dispute with Taiwan Taiwan receives support from allies in office dispute with South Africa Taiwan foreign minister says no plans to move office in South Africa Taiwan office in South Africa given six months to move to Johannesberg Taipei MRT reminds passengers of drinking water ban Central Bank steps in as Taiwan dollar posts strong single-day gain US Congress members urge Somalia to reverse Taiwan passport ban US tech earnings spark Taiwan stock market rally Taiwan ranked 2nd most innovative country in world Vietjet flight makes unscheduled landing in Taiwan Taiwan dollar hits NT$29 per US dollar triggering currency exchange rush Four Vietnamese residents found dead in northern Taiwan Taiwan ranks 1st in Asia on World Press Freedom Index Murder charges for man with fake marriage to teen millionaire dropped If you have any queries about this error, try emailing feedback@mirror.co.uk and we'll do what we can to help you In a direct line east from the city centre –17 kilometres to be exact – Blackburn is a pocket of true suburbia one click past the booming commercial and retail hub of Box Hill and just to the south of Box Hill’s greatest rival Closer to the city than its leafy rivals Vermont it is a pocket well-endowed with one the of the most sought-after attributes for those chasing the suburban dream: proximity in the east by streets just beyond the Blackburn Lake Sanctuary and in the south by Canterbury Road Blackburn’s calling card is its tree-lined streets and its natural bushland reserve around an artificial lake and wetlands (fun fact: one of its most famous residents was naturalist and nature writer Edith Coleman the first woman to be awarded the Australian Natural History Medallion) Like many suburbs in Melbourne’s middle east Blackburn is entering its second life without jettisoning what made it attractive to its residents in the first place Still more classically suburban than its neighbours Box Hill and Doncaster Blackburn isn’t attracting the high-density development of those city rivals but has welcomed its own multi-level apartments mostly clustered around the Blackburn village area of Queen Street and Railway Road higher-density dwellings and public transport – including Blackburn train station – co-exist happily mostly single-level area blessed with large blocks and abundant gardens where tired houses dating from the immediate post-war period up until the `70s are being replaced by modern builds and new family homes and townhouse developments are subtly reshaping the streets which in the 1880s was a popular day trip destination from Melbourne and attracted artists from the Heidelberg school These days people are more likely to take the Eastern Freeway but city amenity has reached these suburban shores including trendy cafes such as Lily Loves George Food Republic and social enterprise roastery Little Things Cafe Started by World Vision Australia and donating a share of its profits towards projects in disadvantaged countries it’s also giving the people of Blackburn a taste of the vegan and paleo zeitgeist 7 Francis Street, Blackburn A large family home with an attractive box bay window façade and wide veranda this three-bedroom house has been enhanced with ducted heating and split system air conditioning new carpet and a double garage with internal access Agent: Ray White, Linda Azzopardi 0418 533 310 234 Springfield Road, Blackburn On a prime corner spot close to shops and parks and inside the Blackburn High School zone this family home has been recently renovated with a Calcutta marble kitchen a covered al fresco area with integrated speakers Agent: Harcourts, Brett Philipps 0425 756 789 but the page you are looking for doesn't exist Email: admin@theaustraliatoday.com.au Phone: +61 (03) 8375 0295 © Designed with ❤ Media Clock buyers could snap up a family home in Melbourne’s east for less than $600,000 they are worth well over $1 million: and prices are still going up House prices in huge swaths of Melbourne’s middle and outer suburbs have almost doubled in the past five years as buyers continue to seek more affordable options than the inner-city can provide The middle ring areas east and south of the city have had the biggest boom with the median house price soaring above $1 million in many postcodes Blackburn South takes the cake; the median has risen 97 per cent since 2012 The suburb has recorded a 20 per cent increase in house prices in the past six months alone Fletchers Blackburn director Ben Williams said many buyers looked to Blackburn South when priced out of neighbouring Mont Albert and Surrey Hills a tiny suburb 18 kilometres south-east of the city a staggering 93 per cent increase since 2012 Parkdale and Warrandyte have all recorded median house price growth above 88 per cent over five years “It’s not that difficult to make a case for why these suburbs are popular,” said Andrew Wilson Prices rose strongly in 2013 and 2014 in what Dr Wilson describes as “the price wave moving from one affordable area to the next” Dr Wilson said established suburbs in the south and east had benefited most in recent years but the wave was now spreading further afield to Ringwood “There’s a revival in the outer east this year,” Dr Wilson said. “It’s just a sense of the never ending upward movement of prices.” But the data also shows areas as far as 25 kilometres out of the CBD have also almost doubled in price. Yarrambat, north of Greensborough and west of Hurstbridge, often considered a ‘town’ in its own right has experienced huge growth in half a decade. Its median price, $1.35 million, has risen 35 per cent in the past year and 85 per cent in the past five years. The suburb’s appeal lies in its big blocks and country town feel, according to Chris Guy, owner of Tancks Corner cafe in Yarrambat. Mr Guy and his wife Suzy set up the popular cafe six years ago, and have since watched the suburb transform. Popular with families becauseof large acre blocks with three or four-bedroom houses, Yarrambat is close to a number of well-regarded private and public schools. Mr Guy said the area’s infrastructure had struggled to keep up with growth, a common tale in Melbourne’s outer suburbs. “It’s a tricky one because it’s a great little community but the infrastructure is lacking,” he said. 16px);}}@media(min-width: 1021px){.css-1vk3wa5{width:100%;}}.css-17qi131{display:none;}@media(min-width: 1021px){.css-17qi131{display:block;}}.css-1dx9hl4{font-weight:var(--type-pageheading-weight 700);color:var(--color-neutral-heavy-default #3C475B);font-size:var(--type-pageheading-size 26px);line-height:var(--type-pageheading-line-height 12px);}@media(min-width: 624px){.css-1dx9hl4{font-size:var(--type-pageheading-size 32px);}}@media(min-width: 1021px){.css-1dx9hl4{font-size:var(--type-pageheading-size 32px);}}@media(min-width: 1021px){.css-1dx9hl4{border-bottom:1px solid var(--color-neutral-trim-default What makes a suburb liveable will obviously differ from person to person others place a higher priority on access to employment and schools and others still on access to public transport The new Domain Liveable Melbourne study — the fourth of its kind since 2005 — has ranked 307 suburbs on 17 indicators to give us this list of the most liveable in the city There have been some changes to criteria since the last study in 2015 which has seen some suburbs tumble down the rankings and others soar while some suburbs previously measured have been deemed insufficiently urban for the purposes of the 2019 study South Yarra reclaims the number one spot after slipping to number two in the 2015 study for the first time The suburb performs exceptionally well in several categories including cafes The only major negatives are its relatively high crime ranking and congested roads the latter of which are among the ten worst in the city East Melbourne consistently performs well in this study is due to its outstanding scores for culture employment and walkability – all of which it ranks in the top 15 of the city for The suburb’s biggest issues are the crime rate this latter category is not weighted as heavily as trains and trams Carlton moves into the top 10 for the first time mostly due to the inclusion of a new indicator which Carlton ranks second in the city for The suburb is also in the top 10 for culture Where it performs less well is crime and congestion Fitzroy North is another suburb where the overall score has been boosted by its walkability which this study deems the ninth best in the city the suburb is ranked first in in the “total education” category (a combination of being top for primary education and tenth for secondary education) Hawthorn is a relatively sold all-rounder: it ranks in the top 50 for culture Where it fares less well is congested roads Footscray jumps 68 places to enter the top 10 for the first time it is a strong performer across multiple categories but even most visitors to Melbourne have travelled above Travancore before This small suburb (population 2480 according to the 2016 census) borders Flemington at the base of the Melbourne International Gateway better known as the “cheese stick” art sculpture Travancore’s shining qualities are its proximity to schools albeit slightly less than its neighbour Carlton The suburb’s less desirable qualities are the limited topographic variation The lucky few who live in Kooyong (a mere 817 people according to the 2016 census) enjoy quality culture and it performs only averagely for retail and walkability Collingwood moves up the ranks due to its walkability score – the fourth best in Melbourne according to this study The suburb also ranks in the top 10 for culture The lowest scores it receives are for crime (the sixth worst in Melbourne) Rather than performing exceptionally well in a few key categories Kensington rates above average in almost everything all of which the suburb ranks in the top 30 for Kensington’s only low scores are for crime Clifton Hill retains its quiet achiever status Most outstanding are its proximity to trains (ranked eighth in this category) and employment (25th) There’s most room for improvement in the crime and congestion fields Southbank has shot up to 13th largely because of its walkability (the first time this criterion has been measured in this study) which is the fifth best in Melbourne It’s also unbeaten when it comes to culture and employment What’s holding back Southbank from achieving a top 10 overall rank is it crime rate Richmond is another suburb that has been significantly boosted by its walkability score (it ranks 8th in this category) The suburb is also a high performer for cafes Where Richmond doesn’t fare so well is buses (the third worst performer in this category) Burnley rates relatively well across the board except for buses, crime rate, primary schools and congestion. Its best quality is the proximity to cafes, followed by employment, open space, and culture. (A suburb’s culture score is determined by the density of its cultural services, as defined by the ABS.) Gardenvale is another tiny suburb (population 1006 in the 2016 Census) that packs a punch Based on its location 10 kilometres south-east of the CBD and bordering Brighton the suburb performs best in the proximity to coast category The only factors where it’s in the bottom half are topographic variation (just) then open space where it is the fourth worst citywide walkability and proximity to the coast are all among Windsor’s best attributes On the opposite end of the scale are its low scores for congestion (the sixth worst in Melbourne) open space Fairfield achieves top 30 ranks in the culture cafe and open space indicators respectively and above average across positions in most other areas The only exceptions are its relatively weak scores for crime Alphington marks Darebin Council’s first entry into the liveable suburbs ranks Like its neighbour Fairfield ranked just one place above the suburb does well for culture and open space Alphington’s highest score is for trains where it considered to be the city’s seventh best Cremorne’s overall liveability has significantly improved due to its relatively high walkability plus outstanding cafe and retail scores –  first and second in Melbourne Cremorne is also in the top 10 for employment and culture but its overall rank is held back by low scores in crime education and walkability are all qualities North Melbourne residents can confidently boast of Areas most ripe for improvement in the suburb include crime and there is also little topographic variation Fitzroy is another big mover in this list largely because of its walkability that this study ranks as best in Melbourne Fitzroy predictably scores very well for all other factors it is famous for including culture employment and schools are other strengths but it is the fourth worst suburb for crime and has minimal open space Moonee Ponds ranks higher for liveability than most other suburbs in its council because of its third-place rank in the access to trains indicator plus top 40 retail and cafe ranks but otherwise Moonee Ponds can claim above average scores across the board Abbotsford continues to climb the liveability ranks with top 20 ranks in the culture For most other factors assessed in this study Abbotsford achieves average to good scores except for congestion and crime South Melbourne is Port Phillip council’s highest ranking suburb in this study with top 10 scores for culture The suburb also has great tram access and it is close the coast South Melbourne has one of the worst crime rates in the city and it doesn’t rank highly for congestion or topographic variation Categories that St Kilda ranks in the top 25 for are culture The suburb doesn’t do well however on proximity to schools particularly in terms of secondary education and its crime score is among the 10 worst in Melbourne Armadale’s rank has dropped largely because of the crime rate and congested roads The suburb also doesn’t have great access to schools and has very little open space Melbourne’s ranking has dropped partly because proximity to the CBD is no longer measured in this study The suburb still has very high scores for culture then crime where it is the second worst in the city but it does share the usual poor crime rate and high rate of congestion Parkville also doesn’t rank very well for education either it’s worth noting that universities were not measured in this study is by far the furthest suburb from the city to make the top 30 of this list which is a whole nine kilometres closer.) What makes this Bayside suburb so outstanding is its coastal proximity paired with above average scores in almost all other categories Flemington is a top 10 suburb for culture and trams and is in the top 50 for cafes Most of its other category scores are decent located 12 kilometres south east of the CBD performs most strongly for trains and walkability The suburb is in the top 100 (out of 307) for most other factors measured in this study Its overall ranking would be further boosted by having more central schools and open space Moonee Ponds and the Maribyrnong River nine kilometres north-west of the CBD Its overall rank can be attributed to decent scores in almost all categories The only areas where Aberfeldie is below average are trains it doesn’t rank in the bottom 100 suburbs for any of these factors Ivanhoe is Banyule Council’s most liveable suburb The suburb’s overall rank has dropped since the last study due to the addition of measuring walkability where Ivanhoe ranks above average but not excellently Ivanhoe is a strong performer for trains (ranked fifth) and topographic variation but its weakest ranks are congestion and crime Kew’s ranking has remained close to unchanged for three studies in a row It scores the highest for its physical attributes including tree cover and topographic variation The only bad scores Kew achieves are for congested roads (the third worst in Melbourne) and trains Balaclava is a strong performer for culture it achieves low scores for having congested roads and a high crime rate and is among the worst suburbs for secondary education proximity and open space Hawthorn East’s liveability ranking continues to slip slightly because of its increasingly congested roads – now the second worst of any Melbourne suburb Areas the suburb maintains high scores for are cafes More open spaces would better boost its overall ranking Appearing in the top 50 for the first time is Ascot Vale a mere five kilometres north-west of the CBD Its strongest attributes are trams and walkability but Ascot Vale is a relatively good performer overall Congestion and crime are the two categories showing the most room for improvement Greater congestion is partly to blame for Elsternwick’s lower rank than in the past Its highest scores are for trams and buses but Elsternwick is also in the top 50 for retail The limited proximity to schools and open space holds Elsternwick back from achieving a higher overall rank Northcote is a consistent performer in this survey due to its high scores in culture Where it performs below average is crime rate topographic variation and congestion – the latter of which is one of the poorest scores for this indicator St Kilda West is ranked in the top 30 suburbs for culture plus it is the closest of all Melbourne suburbs to the coast Brunswick continues to move up the ranks thanks to its thriving arts shopping and dining scenes that give it strong culture The suburb also has great public transport in the form of trams (the fourth best in Melbourne) and trains good proximity to secondary education and decent employment It is lacking only in terms of primary schools Blackburn is a well performing middle ring suburb largely because of its excellent trains (it ranks 10th in this category) and high scoring retail sector The suburb is within the top 100 in most other categories employment and walkability are the categories Brunswick East scores most favourably in It also has a decent proximity to primary schools allowing it to rank higher than neighbouring Brunswick in this category Where it is less successful is in congestion and crime Ivanhoe East has entered the top 50 largely because of its crime rate – second lowest in Melbourne for the purposes of this study It is also well regarded for topographic variation making it a great suburb for those with young children secondary education and walkability are required for an even higher rank After slipping to 126th place in the last study Seddon is back to its previous top 50 spot most likely due to the increased number of cafes in the area buses and employment are other categories Seddon performs particularly well in Where it’s lacking is open space and topographic variation Despite remaining Melbourne’s most expensive suburb for house prices Toorak’s ranking has dropped significantly in recent years – down from fifth in 2016 and third in 2011 Unlike most other suburbs placed above it this year Toorak doesn’t rank very highly for culture and retail plus it has congested roads and limited open space Camberwell’s increasing cafe culture is largely behind its rising rank on this list and congested roads here rank the seventh worst in the city A low crime rate and abundant open space (for which Kew East ranks in the top 15 of these indicators) give this suburb an overall desirable ranking on this list The suburb scores decently in most other areas although it would perform better with more retail The only areas for which Glen Iris scores exceptionally well are buses and tree cover but it does rank in the top third of Melbourne suburbs across most areas assessed in this study Glen Iris’ weakest areas are secondary education Melbourne’s second most expensive suburb has placed out of the top 50 for the first time Where Canterbury continues to shine is in trains Badly congested roads – now the fourth worst in the city – are among what’s forcing Canterbury’s rating down Docklands’ liveability rank continues to rise In 2005 the suburb ranked just 207th in this study This improvement can be attributed to Docklands’ cultural rank (third city-wide) Heidelberg has excellent tree cover and topographic variation Where it ranks the lowest is in the crime rate category Surrey Hills may not have the highest scores for culture cafes and shops but it does have great trains The only areas this suburb ranks low in are open space and congestion the latter of which is among the top 10 worst in this category This study shows Albert Park to have culture open space and cafes in abundance along with a great employment rate walkability and easy proximity to the coast and schools While access to trains and buses isn’t the best here Albert Park’s decreasing overall rank can be attributed to having more congested roads and crime than this time last study trams and has the lowest crime rate (based on the number of offences per 100,000 resident population) in Melbourne The suburb also has excellent tree cover and good proximity to schools On the other end of the spectrum are its congested roads – the worst in this city according to this study Box Hill South has surpassed neighbouring Box Hill most likely because of its much lower crime rate Other areas the suburb rates well for are buses Box Hill South’s weakest point are the congested roads Yarraville’s best qualities include proximity to the coast The suburb is above average in all other areas measured except for secondary education Black Rock’s biggest assets are its open space proximity to the coast and a low crime rate but the suburb has limited access to public transport and has a small retail sector Brunswick West ranks the lesser of the three Brunswicks because of its much lower culture The suburb could be improved by added open space and less congestion on the roads trees and trams in Box Hill and the suburb achieves good scores for employment and walkability Box Hill’s ranking will improve with less crime and congestion employment and walkability are all among Prahran’s key strengths The suburb is also not too far from the coast and has generous tree cover Where Prahran doesn’t perform as well is in crime the latter of which is the fifth worst in Melbourne Maribyrnong has come leaps and bounds thanks to its retail sector which this study ranks the best in Melbourne (based on the percentage of local workforce employed in cafes/restaurants along with the proportion of suburb covered by commercial/retail land area) The suburb also records good scores for trams Areas most ripe for improvement in Maribyrnong are crime and access to primary schools open space and of course coast proximity are elements that underpin Williamstown’s solid liveability Its lower rank compared to the last study is mostly due to its increasingly congested roads that were previously the clearest in Melbourne although these still score well above average Cheltenham’s liveability has soared due to a high proportion of the suburb being employed in cultural services as well as being home to several cafes and Westfield Southland Ormond can claim excellent public transport in the form of trains and buses – the latter of which it is ranked top in the city for The suburb also has low crime and decent proximity to schools a larger cultural sector and more open space Affluent Brighton obviously ranks well for coast proximity along with cafes Its lower overall rank compared to previous years is due to the increasingly congested roads Brighton scores most poorly for topographic variation Balwyn North has moved to overtake Balwyn on this list What’s boosting the area’s liveability are the excellent bus services paired with a good tram network (although train access is poor) Other areas Balwyn North scores very well in are crime More shops and fewer congested roads would enhance its ranking further Ripponlea is another small suburb both in area and population that ranks well for liveability and excellent public transport options across both trains and trams Dragging down Ripponlea’s overall score is congestion and the very minimal amount of open space and hills It’s also great for tree cover and walkability Previously the better ranking of the two Malverns Malvern East has dropped behind its sibling The suburb doesn’t do as well for culture and cafes although it does outscore Malvern for retail Malvern East suffers from a relatively high crime rate Essendon has an excellent tram network along with decent walkability and cafes It doesn’t rank terribly in any of the assessed categories but scores only averagely across many such as education and congestion Its worst score is for open space where it ranks 211th out of 307 Tecoma is a small suburb between Belgrave and Upwey in the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges It ranks so well because of its train and bus access proximity to both primary and secondary schools low crime and few congested roads across a hilly landscape Tecoma boasts the best tree cover in Melbourne tree cover and education are all areas Caulfield North scores highly in Nunawading is moving up in the world thanks to its excellent retail It is an average performer in most other categories assessed with low scores for coast proximity and open space Congested roads and crime have caused Middle Park’s ranking to slip compared to previous years Where it continues to score highly are cafes Few shops and poor train access limit Middle Park from excelling further in liveability despite decent walkability Located next to Eltham and 18 kilometres north-east of the CBD Montmorency ranks well due to its decent train and bus services plus excellent tree cover and hilly streets cafes and culture would further enhance the area Coburg’s jump in liveability can be largely attributed to the improved score for tree cover The suburb also has decent education and great public transport being one of only a few suburbs to rank well across trams Coburg’s only low scores are for crime and open space Hampton’s liveability has taken a hit in recent years because of the increasingly congested roads and rapid improvement from other suburbs What it scores best in currently is coast proximity Hampton needs more open space to rate better overall but it does have a low crime rate which boosts its overall liveability Where it’s most outstanding is access to schools where it ranks in the top 10 suburbs followed by coast proximity and tree cover hilly and leafy Balwyn ranks reasonably well across the board Elwood’s liveability has taken a dive mostly due to having more congested roads What’s holding Elwood back is a lack of secondary schools and its relatively flat landscape Port Melbourne is a suburb with fluctuating liveability over time largely due to changes in the methodology over time Where it performs exceptionally well is culture retail and cafes – all of which it is among the top 20 suburbs for trees and hills brings down its overall score You’d be better off walking or catching public transport instead of driving in Thornbury because of the good walkability and badly congested roads culture and cafes are the suburb’s other high rating qualities but it does score above average in almost all categories assessed Mount Waverley is the highest-ranking suburb in the Monash council area It scores several points for its relatively hilly landscape low crime rate and access to secondary schools Where it could improve most is in the provision of open space primary schools and by having a larger cultural sector Eltham has shot up the ranks to enter the top 100 mostly because of the addition of new cafes to the area and roads free of congestion and has the eighth best tree cover in Melbourne Better access to schools would boost Eltham’s overall ranking even higher Spotswood benefits from being close to the coast having a very high culture score and the second best train ranking in Melbourne McKinnon ranks number one for train access and second for secondary education Low crime and buses are other positive elements of the suburb The areas McKinnon could most improve in include congestion Box Hill’s neighbour Mont Albert has excellent trains It also ranks well for employment and topographic variation Mont Albert’s roads are more congested than in the past Where it ranks poorly is open space and culture What the suburb lacks are physical attributes such as hills and it scores the second lowest across the city for open space Congestion on the roads is another problem Belgrave ranks second in the tree cover category third for topographic variation and has few congested roads Train access and cafes are other strengths On the other end of the scale are its low scores for retail primary and secondary education and coast proximity is a strong performer in the tree cover and topographic variation categories It achieves average to good scores in most other areas Carnegie ranks number one for access trams in the city and is in the top 15 for bus access Walkability and primary education are other areas it also performs well in Small suburb Princes Hill achieves scores on either ends of the scale plus the third best access to secondary schools plus it has a relatively high score for crime Bentleigh’s quality trains plus good employment coast proximity and retail scores make it a top 100 most liveable suburb Indicators it doesn’t do as well in are education Oakleigh’s excellent retail plus great walkability trains and buses underpin its place in the top 100 of this list with the exceptions of crime and congestion buses and retail in particular are strengths of Forest Hill located between Blackburn South and Vermont In most other areas it is a slightly above average performer but it is let down by having minimal open space and some congestion Congested roads have contributed to St Kilda East’s decline in liveability It ranks well below its sibling suburbs for culture and retail although it is the best of the three for topographic variation and crime St Kilda East scores highest for employment located 12 kilometres north-east of the CBD is very accessible by bus and has decent access to trains Among other strengths are the low crime and generous tree cover across hilly streets What Rosanna lacks most is amenity such as retail and cafes Doncaster is the only Manningham suburb to make the top 100 in this study It performs well for retail as the home to Westfield Doncaster plus there’s great tree cover and topographic variation Room for improvement could be made in the culture Greensborough benefits most from having a hilly landscape with plenty of tree cover The only categories Greensborough scores terribly for are buses and coast proximity but there is room for improvement in employment and crime also walkability and tram scores that help balance out its poor scores for crime The suburb also has decent cafes and performs above average for culture and employment located on the water 27 kilometres south-east of the CBD is one of the biggest movers on this list mainly because of its low crime rate open space and it’s also a strong performer in the primary education and total education categories Aspendale has very little in the way of culture Frankston’s ranking has improved thanks to an increased culture score and good walkability (which was previously unassessed in this study) adding to its strong results in the retail as well as for minimal topographic variation The increased number of cafes in the area are behind Upper Ferntree Gully’s higher ranking in this year’s study The suburb performs very well in terms of buses primary education and topographic variation but achieves weak scores for coast proximity (naturally) Brighton East ranks poorly for traffic congestion and it is easily accessible by tram and bus Where Brighton East could most improve is retail education are all things Essendon North residents can lay claim to Other areas it performs decently in are tree cover and walkability where is among the top 10 worst performers in the city Parkdale is located 23 kilometres south-east from the CBD on the water after Mentone this is balanced out by quality access to trains proximity to primary schools and a low crime rate The areas where Parkdale is most in need of improvement for this study are open space and congestion Located between Burwood and Ashburton (hence the name) Ashwood rates most favourably for education In most other areas assessed in this study although there are few cafes and open spaces What drags down its overall score are congested roads and ranking last in the open space category (Nearby Caulfield Park falls within Caulfield North and Caulfield Racecourse is in Caulfield East.)  located 13 kilometres south-west of the CBD ranks in the top 20 suburbs for its proximity to both education and open space It also scores well for having few congested roads and access to trains – the study measures access Altona’s overall ranking is let down by poor scores in topographic variation Highett has excellent train access plus decent culture it ranks below average in several categories including crime followed by proximity to secondary education and low crime along with having limited tree cover and open space is holding Glen Waverley back from achieving a higher overall rank Sunshine benefits from having excellent access to trains and buses What drags down Sunshine’s overall ranking are very low scores for crime and tree cover both of which rank fifth worst in Melbourne Caulfield East scores well for culture and has decent cafes train access (because Caulfield station is actually in Caulfield East) Three areas that let down Caulfield East’s mostly positive attributes are its open space Upwey may be 32 kilometres from Melbourne’s CBD but it is still very accessible by train The suburb is ranked in the top five for both topographic variation and tree cover The suburb’s biggest issue for this study is its small retail sector education and open space are Oakleigh South’s standout qualities It ranks middle of the road for several other elements but is most affected by having limited topographic variation Newport has excellent trains and a decent amount of open space The categories where it performs the weakest are topographic variation but Newport is otherwise deemed above average in most categories Located 16 kilometres north-east of the CBD school proximity and decent scores for walkability Where it stands to improve the most is in culture Its overall rank is also impacted by being far from the coast West Melbourne is by far the least liveable suburb in the City of Melbourne the suburb still ranks in the top 10 for culture and in the top 25 for cafes and employment West Melbourne doesn’t rank higher overall is because of its poor proximity to schools Hughesdale ticks a lot of boxes for liveability as it performs well for access to trains it also records low scores in several of the categories assessed particularly open space where it ranks in the bottom 10 suburbs Clayton has moved up this list considerably over the years with the inclusion of employment to this study boosting its overall rank The suburb records other decent to high scores for retail The only low scores it achieves are for open space and congestion Coburg North ranks in the top 50 suburbs for both retail and access to trams It’s also an above average performer for culture Where Coburg North stands to improve most is in crime and proximity to education Essendon West is balanced out by having a very low crime rate plenty of hills and open space (the equal eighth best in Melbourne) It scores middle of the road in most other areas Ringwood is Maroondah City Council’s highest performing suburb in this study Its increased culture score is behind its improved overall rank along with excellent retail and cafes thanks to Eastland Shopping Centre Ringwood also has great buses and decent topographic variation and its overall rank is affected by being far from the coast Access to trams (route 75 runs right through the middle) tree cover and topographic variation are Burwood’s key strengths Its overall ranking is negatively impacted by access to trains (its namesake station is actually in Glen Iris) limited proximity to schools and congested roads Burwood’s liveability is overall relatively decent buses and trees are all in good supply in Caulfield South it records only average scores for culture walkability and cafes and there is limited retail Caulfield South has very little open space Located 21 kilometres south-east of the CBD on the water Mentone naturally does well for coast proximity but it also has a large retail sector and excellent proximity to schools Moorabbin is a strong performer in the categories of culture cafes and it ranks third in the city for proximity to primary schools Walkability and employment are also decent but Moorabbin suffers from having minimal public transport (its train station is perched on the far side of its boundaries) congested roads and a relatively flat landscape good proximity to schools and a low crime rate are what underpin Bentleigh East’s liveability In most other categories assessed its scores are good to average except for access to trains where it performs poorly (there is no train station in Bentleigh East) and there’s minimal topographic variation Belgrave Heights may be 38 kilometres south-east of the CBD with only 1360 residents at the most recent census It also ranks in the top 10 suburbs for topographic variation Minimal public transport and proximity to schools are the indicators Belgrave Heights is less liveable for Located 27 kilometres east of the CBD next to Ringwood Croydon ranks third in Melbourne for proximity to schools and does well for having few congested roads quality trains and decent topographic variation The suburb is disadvantaged in this study by being far from the coast and being without trams The only other low score it achieves is for culture leafy landscape with generous open space allows it to perform well in this study It also achieves decent ranks in the culture Its downfalls are proximity to schools which it scores poorly for Murrumbeena is accessible by train and is not far from trams with the terminus for route 67 just one suburb over in Carnegie Tree cover and walkability are also decent here Room for improvement is most needed in the categories of proximity to schools Bundoora offers easy access to both primary and secondary schools in addition to university campuses It’s also reachable by tram and has copious amounts of open space The elements Bundoora performs the worst for are crime walkability and coast proximity are all elements Mordialloc residents can be proud of Its scores for train access and employment are also above average Mordialloc would benefit from having less traffic congestion Templestowe Lower records very positive scores in some areas but poor ones in others The hilly and leafy streets with abundant open space are complemented by a low crime rate and good proximity to schools employment and public transport beyond buses Trams and buses are the categories Burwood East performs best in and it has above average scores for culture The suburb would benefit most from a train station and more open space decent access to bus services and a low crime rate The only areas the suburb performs terribly in are open space and topographic variation Airport West is ranked in the top 10 suburbs for its retail thanks to Westfield shopping centre Airport West is disadvantaged by not having a train station and it could also improve in the areas of open space and crime The suburb leaves much to be desired in terms of culture cafes and employment scores are only average Pascoe Vale South’s best qualities are its proximity to schools and the tram network It also has decent tree cover and topographic variation What Pascoe Vale South lacks most is amenity such as culture Dandenong’s place in the top half of these rankings can be most attributed to its large retail sector Its biggest and most consistent issue is a high crime rate having ranked in the bottom 10 suburbs in this category for two consecutive studies Located 13 kilometres north-west of the city Niddrie residents can rely on its shopping facilities cafes and trams and enjoy a hilly landscape The reason the suburb doesn’t rank higher on this list is because of its minimal open space low walkability and poor scores for access to trains and buses located 11 kilometres north-west of the CBD The suburb remains above average in most other areas assessed Box Hill North has a very low crime rate and great tree cover cafes and less busy roads would propel Box Hill North’s liveability to new heights Hills and trams are both in good supply in Vermont South and it has a low crime rate Areas the suburb could most improve in are employment Vermont South is also disadvantaged by not having a train station and being relatively far from the coast Kingsbury is a relatively small suburb bordering Reservoir 12 kilometres north-east of the CBD The suburb scores well for trams and open space and offers decent walkability Where Kingsbury lacks is in amenities by having very few shops and cafes and low scores for culture and trains Essendon’s neighbour Strathmore does well in terms of buses and topographic variation Its worst scores are for congestion and culture but Strathmore could also do with more shops Located 14 kilometres north-east of the CBD Macleod has great aesthetic attributes in the form of hills and open space It is also easily accessible by train and has a low crime rate Macleod’s weakest points are the lack of walkability Altona’s small neighbour Seaholme benefits most for its coastal proximity along with strong scores for train access the suburb is the lowest ranking suburb in Melbourne for retail and is the bottom 10 for tree cover decent culture and hilly streets are all things Vermont residents can be happy about Its overall ranking would benefit most from new cafes to the area and having better walkability West Footscray ranks so far behind Footscray (number 6) is because of its far lower scores for culture although it is still considered to be above average in all of these It does have a better crime rate and experiences less congestion than Footscray however Where West Footscray scores the worst is education walkability and trains are Reservoir’s best qualities The only areas it ranks less than 200 (out of 307) in are crime rate and proximity to the coast Reservoir’s scores are roughly mid-way in most categories Mulgrave’s neighbour Wheelers Hill has a low crime rate a hilly landscape and great proximity to schools The suburb is negatively affected by not having a train station possessing few cafes and a low employment score The introduction of new cafes to Warrandyte has boosted its overall liveability complementing its consistently high scores for topographic variation On the other end of the scale are Warrandyte’s poor scores for retail and having only minimal public transport in the form of buses Bayswater’s neighbour Heathmont is located 24 kilometres east of the CBD and benefits from having a central train station low crime and decent topographic variation Open space and walkability however are poor in the area and the suburb doesn’t score well for culture and retail Chadstone’s liveability has dropped due to its only average walkability (a category that previously wasn’t assessed in this study) along with having greater and higher crime rate than previous years Where it continues to perform well is retail is Hume City Council’s most liveable suburb but the suburb is easily accessible by bus and ranks third in the city for mobile and internet coverage Gladstone Park’s overall rank would improve with higher scores in culture Doncaster East is disadvantaged by not having a nearby train station or trams The suburb’s biggest positives are the low crime rate and topographic variation Blackburn North residents benefit from a very low crime rate along with excellent access to schools In most other areas the suburb rates below average Mont Albert North ranked 15th overall in the 2011 iteration of this study but its liveability has been affected by the new inclusion of walkability to the criteria along with the suburb’s increasingly congested roads Where it still excels is topographic variation and tree cover and it has one of the top 10 lowest crime rates in Melbourne More shops and cafes are also needed for a higher overall score is Knox City Council’s highest ranking suburb on this list topographic variation and experiences minimal traffic even at peak times What it’s lacking most is employment and open space Braybrook borders Sunshine and is nine kilometres west of the CBD The suburb has an excellent amount of retail for its size and decent proximity to schools Braybrook doesn’t score terribly in any categories although it is the bottom 100 suburbs for tree cover and its culture rank could be improved Ringwood East ranks in the top 10 citywide for train access and the suburb also has good buses Topographic variation and minimal congestion are other strengths of the area The elements most dragging down Ringwood East’s overall rank are culture which borders Maribyrnong 12 kilometres north-west of the city benefits from nearby trams and copious amounts of open space across hilly streets Briar Hill is a relatively small suburb sandwiched between Greensborough and Montmorency Boosting its liveability is a low crime rate and the fourth best tree cover in Melbourne In most other areas Briar Hill performs only average at best and it is particularly lacking in retail The liveability of Strathmore’s much smaller sibling is supported by nearby trams an excellent amount of open space and great topographic variation the suburb shows room for improvement in many areas and the suburb offers excellent proximity to schools The suburb ranks averagely in most other categories Chelsea is one of Melbourne’s best suburbs for coast proximity and can be easily accessed by train and bus The suburb also encompasses abundant open space and the crime rate is decent Where Chelsea could improve most is proximity to schools and tree cover and it is let down by its largely flat landscape Westmeadows is 17 kilometres north of the CBD next to Broadmeadows Its best attributes are its generous open space across hilly streets and good proximity to both primary and secondary schools Congestion on the roads is also minimal here Weastmeadows ranks below average in nearly all other areas assessed Retail is in strong supply in Maidstone thanks largely to the proximity of nearby Highpoint Shopping Centre The suburb also has a good amount of open space and is accessible via nearby trams Maidstone ranks poorly in most other categories Small suburb Heatherton borders Moorabbin and is 20 kilometres south-east of the city The suburb scores very well in the areas of culture open space and it benefits from being relatively near the coast Where Heatherton stands to improve the most is proximity to schools and tree cover and employment are Heidelberg West’s strengths The suburb also has a decent amount of open space due to Darebin Creek Forest Park running along its border Areas the suburb doesn’t do as well in are cafes and congestion Blackburn South has a low crime rate and great proximity to schools but is let down in many other areas and the suburb achieves low ranks for retail employment and cafes are all in good supply in Huntingdale The suburb’s scores for tree cover and walkability are also above average The remaining categories assessed in this study show several weaknesses in the area however mainly in the form of minimal public transport low proximity to schools and next to no open space Bayswater is located 29 kilometres east of the CBD The suburb’s scores vary wildly depending on the category being assessed Those at the upper end of the scale include culture Where Bayswater can most improve is public transport as it records low scores for access to trains The crime rate is also high and the suburb lacks decent tree cover and open space Springvale scores exceptionally well for retail and walkability but is lacking in many other areas Crime is high and proximity to schools is low The suburb is also disadvantaged by having limited tree cover and topographic variation Wantirna South performs well in the areas of culture Dragging down its overall score is a poor ranking for train access and the suburb doesn’t fare well in the employment Albion is positioned after Sunshine about 13 kilometres west of the CBD Its best traits for liveability include train access The suburb’s lack of congestion and proximity to schools are also decent shops and trees would improve Albion’s overall rank Getting to Pascoe Vale via train or nearby trams is relatively easy and the suburb offers good proximity to schools and its scores in all other areas are only average Hampton East’s liveability ranking has dropped significantly over the years after achieving a top 20 spot in 2011 open space and distance to schools are also low Where Hampton East continues to do well is tree cover access to trains and proximity to the coast Ringwood North is a peaceful pocket with generous tree cover a very low crime rate (the fifth best in Melbourne) and minimally congested roads The suburb also offers excellent proximity to schools cafes and better train access is needed for a better overall score The suburb excels in the areas of proximity to schools and buses and it also gets good marks for open space and congestion Where Glenroy can improve is in the culture Oakleigh East has a relatively low crime rate Better proximity to schools and more open space is also needed for a better overall score Access to schools and marginally congested roads are the best things about Wantirna’s liveability The suburb performs weakly in the areas of retail and it is disadvantaged by being far from the coast Carrum is a reasonably small suburb 33 kilometres south east of the CBD meaning it does very well in the category of coast proximity but it also offers excellent proximity to schools There’s also relatively little congestion on the roads and plenty of open space Carrum’s scores in every other area assessed are below average Williamstown North ranks far lower than its sibling suburb Williamstown due to having fewer cafes Where it still performs well is in the coastal proximity and culture categories Better access to public transport and tree cover is needed to boost Williamstown North’s liveability Berwick is the highest ranking suburb in the City of Casey and its liveability is fast improving Train and school access are both great and there are few congested roads Berwick is in need of better scores for culture employment and tree cover for an improved overall rank and to overcome the fact it is relatively far from the coast and beyond the tram network Eltham North doesn’t perform as well as Eltham for liveability because it has far fewer shops the crime rate is much better and it has the same great tree cover and topographic variation Broadmeadows performs fairly averagely across the board except for proximity to education What’s dragging down its overall rank most is the very high crime score Bellfield is a small north-eastern suburb next to Heidelberg with excellent proximity to secondary schools More retail and cafes would benefit Bellfield’s liveability The open space in Jacana puts it in the top 20 of the city In nearly every other area assessed however Jacana is deemed below average Edithvale is 28 kilometres south-east from the CBD on the water the suburb benefits from having its own train station employment and hills and its proximity to schools is poor low congestion and of course proximity to the coast The overall liveability of the suburb is dragged down by having the third worst topographic variation in the city Yallambie borders Viewbank and is 16 kilometres north-east of the city but this is balanced out slightly by good scores in employment More schools would boost Yallambie’s liveability St Helena is between Eltham North and Greensborough 21 kilometres north-east of the CBD The suburb offers a relatively idyllic lifestyle thanks to its generous hills St Helena’s liveability would benefit from having more open space South Kingsville is a small suburb between Spotswood and Newport The suburb has a very low crime rate and good proximity to the coast but most of South Kingsville’s other scores are average at best Areas the suburb scores the weakest for are open space The areas Ferntree Gully scores the best for are congestion and topographic variation the suburb performs around the mid-way mark Access to buses and employment are what Heidelberg Heights gets high marks for Its scores for tree cover and access to trains (due to those in nearby suburbs) are also decent schools and less crime would boost Heidelberg Heights’ liveability Campbellfield continues to slowly but surely move up the ranks in this study but its overall rank is dragged down by having the ranking bottom for crime in the city Campbellfield would also benefit from more schools and tree cover and it loses points for being far from the coast Templestowe has great aesthetic attributes in the form of topographic variation and open space to complement its low crime rate Residents who live in the suburb are largely car dependent because the suburb is not walkable The lowly rank for proximity to schools and minimal public transport access drags down Templestowe’s overall liveability There is abundant open space in Keilor East The suburb is scores poorly for public transport access due to not having a train station or trams The liveability of Berwick’s neighbour Narre Warren has improved thanks to recording far fewer congested roads than as recorded in the previous study The suburb also offers excellent proximity to retail as home to Westfield Fountain Gate and provides decent walkability Narre Warren’s biggest downfalls are its high crime rate low employment and limited proximity to schools Lower Plenty ranks very well for topographic variation crime and open space but most of its other individual category scores are poor With no access to trains or trams there’s a reliance on buses giving it the second worst ranking suburb in this category It’s also one of the least walkable suburbs in Melbourne shops and a higher employment rate are needed for better liveability in Lower Plenty Keilor Downs has a shopping centre so it rates well for retail along with having little traffic Keilor Downs scores poorly for access to public transport (no trains or trams and only minimal bus service provision) as well as employment Bonbeach is on the water between Chelsea and Carrum so it ranks well for proximity to the coast The area’s other assets include having low crime and generous distribution of open space – the equal eighth best in Melbourne Monash University students will know Notting Hill as a small suburb near the Clayton campus The suburb ranks well for retail due to its proximity to nearby Brandon Park and the level of employment in this sector Notting Hill ranks poorly for access to trains and it ranks fifth lowest for open space in the city Noble Park gets top marks for access to trains and buses plus it offers good walkability and proximity to education In most other areas however the suburb doesn’t perform very well recording particularly low scores for culture Altona North may have a larger population than Altona but its liveability isn’t as strong mainly because of the lack of public transport (buses only) Where Altona North does best is in culture There’s a fantastic amount of open space in Chelsea Heights the crime rate is relatively low and there is good access to bus services In most other areas assessed in this survey Chelsea Heights is an average performer at best with particularly low scores for tree cover The areas Clayton South scores the weakest for are topographic variation The suburb’s performance in other areas isn’t terrible but Clayton South suffers from not having a key asset to rely on as a strong performer open space and trains are deemed above average What it lacks the most is proximity to education and its ranking suffers from being a long distance from the coast The rankings Bundoora’s neighbour Watsonia North achieves for liveability vary wildly depending on the category being assessed great topographic variation and a decent amount of tree cover What’s dragging down Watsonia North’s overall average is its very low scores for retail (where it’s in the bottom 10) along with culture Cranbourne has a handful of assets that make for good liveability such as plenty of open space the suburb ranks average at best in all other areas; mainly crime Lalor’s neighbour Mill Park has excellent bus access and proximity to secondary schools Its distribution of open space is also in good supply the suburb records several low scores for culture Tullamarine has well-sized retail and culture sectors and great proximity to schools Crime however is high (it ranks in the bottom 10 for this category) and the suburb has poor walkability and no access to trains Hoppers Crossing has a large retail sector and ranks comparatively well for congestion The area could do with more cafes and tree cover to enhance its liveability Lalor boasts excellent train access and proximity to both secondary and primary schools What drags down the suburb’s overall liveability are low scores in several categories including topographic variation Increasingly busy roads have affected Viewbank’s liveability over the years There is also little public transport in the area the suburb ranks sixth best in the city for open space and there’s good tree cover across hilly streets Mount Evelyn is 37 kilometres north-east of the CBD and follows Lilydale Assets of the area include a low crime rate excellent tree cover and topographic variation The suburb is disadvantaged by being a long distance from the coast and only having buses for public transport retail and access to bus categories but is otherwise considered below average in almost all other areas The suburb’s lowest scores are for access to trains Areas that Keilor Park scores positively for include culture Dragging down Keilor Park’s overall ranking is the fact there is no nearby train station and proximity to education is strongly lacking The suburb is also among the top 10 worst areas for walkability Eltham’s neighbour Research is a quiet suburb with great scores for culture and a top five rank for topographic variation The very little public transport in the area combined with poor walkability and few cafes open spaces and schools brings down the suburb’s overall score it has decent proximity to schools and there is a low crime rate On the other hand are the suburb’s low scores for culture Noble Park North also doesn’t have much in the way of public transport Springvale South has a good score for crime and great proximity to education The suburb is also considered above average for open space Springvale South ranks in the bottom half of all suburbs Sunshine North has a healthy retail sector and within the suburb proper but the areas where Sunshine North stands to improve the most are culture Knoxfield ranks in the top 50 suburbs for retail thanks mainly to Westfield Knox Shopping Centre The suburb also gets high scores for its proximity to education and for having minimally congested roads at peak hour poor walkability and low employment hold Knoxfield back from offering better liveability Hurstbridge may be 30 kilometres north-east of the CBD but the suburb still has a train station that helps boost liveability The suburb ranks in the top 10 for topographic variation plus it has great tree cover and few congested roads At the opposite end of the scale is Hurstbridge’s rank for proximity to education Lilydale excels in the area of topographic variation and it experiences little traffic Cafes and buses are also in healthy supply The suburb’s overall liveability rank is most affected by being far from the coast followed by low employment and distance to schools There’s little congestion on the roads in Croydon North and the suburb has excellent topographic variation The amount of tree cover and open space are also above average Croydon North ranks in the bottom 100 suburbs Patterson Lakes is a unique suburb full of canals located 35 kilometres south east of the CBD The categories it scores the best in are buses Patterson Lakes shows significant room for improvement in all remaining categories Dingley Village is located after Moorabbin and is 22 kilometres south-east of the CBD The suburb performs well in the culture and coast proximity categories What Dingley Village doesn’t have are many cafes or schools and it gets low scores for all three forms of public transport The best things about Park Orchards are its low crime and natural landscape with plenty of trees and hills The suburb also experiences congested roads infrequently On the negative side is the lack of public transport in the area (buses only) Rowville has excellent proximity to schools and scores well in the congestion The suburb ranks second worst in the city for trains (a rail line proposal for the area from 1969 is still just a proposal) and it also needs better walkability few congested roads and a good amount of open space What it is most in need of most is public transport (particularly a train station) tree cover and walkability would also help Keilor’s ranking Eumemmerring is a small suburb neighbouring Dandenong South congestion and provides decent proximity to schools Where Eumemmerring could improve most is cafes Point Cook’s liveability has increased since the last study The suburb has an excellent amount of open space and benefits from being close to the coast Point Cook scores consistently low in this study is because of the minimal public transport access Gowanbrae is located 13 kilometres north-west of the CBD near Tullamarine It ranks in the bottom 10 suburbs for both retail and cafes generous open space and great topographic variation Gowanbrae could also improve in the areas of culture The minimal amount of public transport plus low scores for culture and retail detract from Altona Meadows’ excellent open space that ranks the fourth best in Melbourne The suburb gets points for being close to the coast and experiencing few congested roads but Altona Meadows needs more tree cover and better proximity to schools to achieve a good overall rank on this list Mooroolbark is positioned 31 kilometres east of the CBD near Lilydale The suburb is a strong performer in the topographic variation category and does decently for crime and congestion A higher employment rate and more open space would boost Mooroolbark’s liveability There is great topographic variation in Diamond Creek and congested roads are not an issue Where it doesn’t perform well is distance to schools There is a train station in Diamond Creek but little else in the way of public transport Doncaster East’s neighbour Donvale has very small retail and cafe sectors and public transport is scarce It also scores poorly for proximity to schools and walkability excellent topographic variation and generous tree cover Clarinda is 19 kilometres south-east of the city bordering Clayton South It has a low crime rate and excellent access to buses but is lacking other forms of public transport Clarinda scores lowly in most other areas assessed Scoresby is 29 kilometres east of the city next to Wheelers Hill The suburb scores very well in the retail category most likely because it is close to Knoxfield It also achieves a great culture rating and has a healthy amount of open space Scoresby’s liveability is dragged down by having no public transport beyond buses plus low employment poor proximity to schools and a relatively high crime rate The number of cafes in Werribee has improved adding to its great scores for trains and congestion What Werribee is lacking most is tree cover (where it ranks the second worst in the city) Sunshine West has a better crime score than its sibling suburbs and excellent proximity to education Factors it performs the worst for are walkability More public transport would also improve the area Kealba’s name derives from two of its neighbouring suburbs – Keilor and St Albans The suburb achieves excellent scores for buses but its performance in almost all other categories is lacking is relatively far from schools and residents are forced to be car dependent Hallam’s liveability continues to improve in this study performs well for retail and has few congested roads Hallam’s weaknesses are its high crime rate excellent proximity to schools and great access to trains The suburb is let down by very low scores in the areas of culture topographic variation and traffic isn’t an issue here Its scores for retail and cafes are also above average What the suburb needs most is significantly more public transport and open space Croydon South’s overall liveability is also affected by being a long distance from the coast Frankston North’s place on this list has dropped significantly because the crime score is poor The suburb doesn’t have much in the way of public transport but it does have excellent proximity to schools fantastic distribution of open space and few congested roads Its scores for tree cover and walkability are also low Kilsyth South is 32 kilometres east of the CBD in the area before Mount Dandenong The suburb has a low crime rate and minimal traffic retail and cafes are also all in decent supply but residents have poor access to public transport Proximity to schools is Kilsyth South is also lacking Laverton is a relatively small suburb bordering Williams Landing having its own train station and offering great proximity to schools is high and there is little tree cover or retail Dandenong’s neighbour Doveton provides excellent proximity to both primary and secondary schools The suburb rates below average scores in almost all other areas assessed Langwarrin suffers from a lack of public transport with the exception of buses It also shows significant room for improvement in the areas of culture Where Langwarrin performs well is the categories of education and crime and it has the second best score for road congestion in the city Endeavour Hills is located after Dandenong about 31 kilometres from the CBD The suburb also has minimally congested roads and a decent score for access to buses Endeavour Hills’ liveability would improve with more cafes North Warrandyte has a particularly small retail sector and the fourth worst proximity to both trains and education The suburb is also not walkable and has far fewer cafes than its sibling suburb Warrandyte North Warrandyte’s crime rank is the third best in the city The Basin is nestled into the foothills of the Dandenong Ranges and therefore has excellent tree cover and topographic variation cafes and public transport (even access to buses is scarce here) Aspendale Gardens is slightly inland from the water about 27 kilometres south-east of the CBD The suburb only has a very small culture sector Positives of the area are the extremely good crime score and excellent amount of open space Dandenong North doesn’t have much in the way of retail and it doesn’t have any public transport beyond buses What the suburb performs well for is proximity to schools Dallas is located 18 kilometres north of the CBD following Campbellfield There is a train station (Upfield) located just outside the suburb’s north-eastern boundary and it also does in the categories of proximity to schools and congestion cafes and a lower crime rate to rank higher on this list Located 23 kilometres north-west of the CBD Taylors Lakes has a well-sized retail sector and rarely experiences congested roads The area’s liveability is dragged down by a poor crime score Croydon Hills has good topographic variation as its name suggests plus the crime rate is very low and the roads aren’t often congested The employment rate is also relatively low Like all suburbs in the foothills of Mount Dandenong Montrose has excellent tree cover and topographic variation What Montrose doesn’t have much of is public transport Deer Park is 17 kilometres west of the city The suburb gets very low scores for culture Deer Park’s greatest assets are its retail sector access to buses and lack of congestion on the roads Warranwood’s name is a conjunction of the suburbs Warrandyte and Ringwood that it is located near Residents in the area benefit from very low crime – the fourth best ranking in the city – good proximity to schools clear roads and excellent topographic variation Warranwood suffers from a shortage of public transport and for having very few shops or cafes It is also one of the top 10 least walkable suburbs in Melbourne Ardeer is a relatively small suburb 16 kilometers west of the CBD Its declining rank on this list is mostly due to its crime score in addition to recording very low scores for culture and cafes The suburb also doesn’t do well in the areas of proximity to schools and employment Broolyn is a small suburb bordering West Footscray 10 kilometres west of the CBD is relatively close to the coast and scores above average for culture The suburb’s crime score has caused its liveability to drop Coolaroo is located 19 kilometres north of the city excellent proximity to schools and few busy roads What drags its ranking down are a very poor crime score (it’s one of the bottom 10 suburbs in this category) Caroline Springs’ liveability is slowly improving The suburb ranks in the top 10 suburbs city wide for proximity to education and the amount of open space is decent Caroline Springs needs a larger cultural sector better access to public transport (its train station is actually in Ravenhall) Cairnlea is located 17 kilometres north-west of the CBD near St Albans uncongested roads and close proximity to primary schools Dragging down Cairnlea’s overall score are its low scores for culture Frankston South has a good score for crime has a decent amount of open space and ranks third best for congestion and is lacking in public transport access and topographic variation retail and cafes would also boost Frankston South’s liveability Hadfield is 13 kilometres north of the CBD Public transport access is in good supply in the area and the roads are relatively uncongested What Hadfield needs more of for a better ranking is culture Seabrook is 19 kilometres south-west of the CBD good proximity to education and is near the water Seabrook ranks so low in this study because it it is in the bottom 15 suburbs for culture South Morang has an excellent amount of open space and great topographic variation Areas it performs weakly in are employment More shops and cafes would also help the area’s liveability Hampton Park borders Dandenong South 36 kilometres south-east of the city The suburb has great access to buses (although there are no trains or trams) and next to no congested roads Where Hampton South records low scores is in culture You’ll find Keysborough 27 kilometres south-east of the city near Dandenong The suburb’s best assets are its good score for traffic congestion decent proximity to the coast and adequate retail sector Keysborough relies on buses for public transport Epping has a good-sized retail sector along with a decent amount of open space What it’s lacking most is its proximity to schools More public transport would also boost Epping’s liveability Bayswater North ranks very well in the retail and road congestion categories but achieves only low scores in all other areas assessed Derrimut is 18 kilometres west of the city The suburb features a great distribution of open space and a good-sized retail sector Derrimut is in need of better access public transport for liveability The suburb would also benefit from more schools improved topographic variation and better walkability Carrum Downs benefits from being relatively close to the coast and a good score for road congestion The suburb is disadvantaged as it only has buses for public transport and among the most limited topographic variation in Melbourne Other Carrum Downs areas that show significant room for improvement are tree cover Meadow Heights is 18 kilometres north of the city few congested roads and good topographic variation The areas Kilsyth ranks above average for include culture the suburb lacks in many areas deemed desirable for liveability Kings Park borders St Albans in the city’s north west The suburb ranks very poorly in a handful of categories including cafes where it is ranked last in the city At the other end of the scale are the suburb’s scores for congestion and proximity to education Kings Park also ranks well for access to buses Attwood is a relatively small suburb near the airport The suburb ranks worst in the city for culture topographic variation and open space categories public transport and schools are also needed for a stronger ranking for Attwood Lynbrook is 36 kilometres south-east of the CBD bordering Dandenong South There are few congested roads in the area and it offers great proximity to primary schools Lynbrook records very poor scores in several areas such as culture that it ranks third last for Cranbourne East is a new addition to this list due to its outlying location 45 kilometres south-east of the CBD The suburb rates well for culture and congestion but is dragged down overall by weak scores in several other categories Cranbourne East ranks fourth last in the city for topographic variation and is in the bottom 10 for both employment and cafes Sydenham residents have easy access to trains at Watergardens station and there are few congested roads in the area Categories the suburb ranks the lowest in include culture tree cover walkability and topographic variation Caroline Springs’ neighbour Burnside has a well-sized retail sector and the sixth least number of congested roads in Melbourne the suburb ranks in the bottom 10 suburbs citywide for culture Sandhurst is 37 kilometres south-east of the CBD Its tiny retail sector sees it rank third last in this category Public transport access is likewise very limited Sandhurst has a very good crime score and is ranked fifth in the open space category Burnside Heights ranks the fourth lowest in the city for both cafes and employment The suburb also has minimal access to public transport including the roads being among the least congested in Melbourne proximity to education is good and there is low crime Albanvale is 19 kilometres west of the CBD The suburb rarely experiences congested roads and it has an above average amount of open space Dragging down Albanvale’s overall liveability is the fact it ranks second worst in the city for culture Roxburgh Park borders Craigieburn and is 20 kilometres north of the city The suburb offers great proximity to secondary schools and its scores for open space and congestion are above average for which it ranks equal last in the city for and its scores for culture and employment are also poor Lysterfield South is 30 kilometres south-east The suburb has the most open space of any suburb in Melbourne Lysterfield South is significantly lacking in many areas The suburb is ranked in the bottom 10 for cafes Junction Village is a small suburb near Cranbourne and 45 kilometres south-east of the city Junction Village needs to improve in several areas It is ranked in the bottom 15 suburbs for retail Williams Landing’s best qualities include having a good amount of open space minimal congestion and being not too far from the coast The suburb otherwise performs poorly in most areas assessed particularly in terms of proximity to education Keilor Lodge is Keilor’s less populated neighbour with a low crime rate and no traffic Weak scores in most other categories underpin Keilor Lodge’s low ranking on this list The areas it stands to improve the most in are retail The suburb’s only access to public transport is a single bus route Delahey borders Taylors Lakes and is 20 kilometres north-west of the CBD The suburb provides excellent proximity to education has minimally congested roads and a relatively low crime rate Delahey gets low scores in all other areas Narre Warren South rarely experiences congested roads and its level of open space is above average Its downfalls are the lack of access to public transport beyond buses and its low scores for employment Waterways is about 25 kilometres south of the CBD and ranks second best in Melbourne for open space because it encompasses 20 per cent parkland and 40 per cent water What lets Waterways down are its ranks in the bottom 10 for culture The only category Cranbourne North ranks in the top 100 suburbs for is traffic congestion It is in the bottom 10 suburbs for tree cover Narre Warren North’s best assets are its decent open space and the fact its roads are rarely busy the suburb needs significantly more retail Langwarrin South has the best score in Melbourne for traffic congestion and a low crime rate The suburb ranks in the bottom 10 for trams Masterplanned Taylor Hill as yet offers little in terms of liveability with its only positive scores in this study being in the crime rate congestion and proximity to education categories The areas the suburb performs most poorly in are tree cover Other masterplanned communities have seen their rankings inmprove with time Hillside is next to Sydenham and 23 kilometres north-west of the CBD The reason it ranks so low overall is because it ranks in the bottom five suburbs citywide for culture and retail and the bottom 10 for cafes and employment Every list of rankings has a wooden-spooner 35 kilometres south-east of the CBD near Cranbourne The suburb ranks in the top 10 for lack of traffic congestion in Melbourne but in nearly every other category assessed in this study The suburb’s weakest point is access to buses for which it ranks worst in the city Have you taken the quiz to find your ideal suburb? Let us know what you thought. Amelia Barnes is a writer and journalist specialising in property and residential design reporting, specifically, Melbourne real estate, alternative housing and interior design. She is a regular writer for Domain and The Age and holds a Bachelor of Journalism. The Uniting Church has sold two more Melbourne assets – one for less than the highest offer the church is banking $3.3 million for the recently closed Kookaburra United Kindergarten The 2998 square metre site – with over 40 metres of road frontage a local activity centre with a recently upgraded train station was marketed for its potential to make way for a major townhouse project – possibly incorporating a red brick church which is heritage protected The campaign also targeted other religious organisations and essential service groups another not-for-profit – affordable housing group Albert Chedid and Matthew Wright said the property – “a gateway to Melbourne’s rapidly expanding northern corridor” – had never been put to market Eleven offers came in following an expressions of interest campaign which closed five weeks ago A second property Uniting listed earlier this year – three clay tennis courts in Blackburn South – sold for $2.471m – which was not the highest offer at the end of the campaign The church decided to discount the property for a local tennis academy Eight other offers came in for the holding which would likely have sold to a townhouse developer but could also have attracted an essential services related investor or operator; the 1748 sqm site at 12-14 Rosslyn St is a block from Canterbury Rd and Blackburn Hospital (story continues below) It is also near the corner of Blackburn Rd The same agents with Barry Plant Whitehorse’s Michael Steenhuis and St John Cranna brokered the deal “The buyer…will retain the tennis court and use the property as designed for years to come,” Mr Napoleone said “The continued use of the site was the attraction for the Uniting Church in selecting their buyer,” he added This property had also never been previously for public sale according to the executive; it had been home to Eckersley Tennis Club for 70 years The disposals come nine months since Uniting sold a historic place of worship in Thornbury – coincidentally to the Presbyterian Church it acquired the property from 30 years earlier Eighteen months ago, meanwhile, Uniting divested an ex-kindergarten built into a church at Montmorency; held by the group for 40 years it traded to an occupier too – a community group – despite being offered permit-ready for a 63-place childcare centre In 2020, the church sold a former kindergarten at Prahran Affluent Melbourne suburbs showed the greatest increase in house prices in the June quarter according to the Real Estate Institute of Victoria It's not likely that the 54.9% hike in the median price in Toorak but rather the predominance of pricey unit sales within the fewer than 30 actual sales The same goes with significant downwards shifts which again reflect the dominence of a  particular market segment amid limited sales activity Overall Melbourne house prices rebounded 2.9% in the June quarter The REIV suggests more than 30 sales are necessary in order to get an informed view of the suburb's median house price but even with that number there will be distortions in quarterly median prices given the composition of sales during the period *Indicates that fewer than 30 sales were recorded during the quarter and this can result in greater volatility Source: REIV We're on a mission to radically improve the quality of Urban communities being developed across Australia We aim to showcase every development in Australia to help you find the perfect new home!