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Are traditional Woi-wurrung or other Aboriginal language names.
Merri-bek and Darebin Councils are working together to replace and upgrade the Harding Street Bridge to make it safer, more accessible and more user friendly.
Suggestions are now open for a name for the new bridge. Everyone is invited to make a suggestion!
Join the conversation
Suggest a name
You can submit your name suggestion using the form below. You will need to be registered with a Conversations Merri-bek account to use the form.
The deadline for submissions is 11:59pm, Friday 3 April 2026
After submissions close a shortlist will be chosen and presented to
Council for endorsement. The community will then be asked to select
their preference before Council makes the final decision.
Names must meet principles A- M of the State Government’s Naming rules for places in Victoria – Statutory requirements for naming roads, features and localities – 2022.
- Find the rust-coloured "LOG IN/JOIN" button at the top of the page and click it to start registering.
- Select "LOG IN" if you already have a profile on Conversations Merri-bek OR select "SIGN UP" to create a new profile.
- To create your profile you will need to add: Screen name, email address, password, full name and postcode. Check the boxes that apply and click "CREATE ACCOUNT".
- You can now continue with your submission
We require you to register as user of Conversatiosn Merri-bek to complete the form. Registration helps protect the integrity and fairness of the consultation.
Everyone is welcome to participate, you don't have to be a Merri-bek resident to register.
The information you provide also helps us to meet our legislative obligations and improve our processes.
Your personal details will not be used for any other purpose.
Preference will be given to submissions that:
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Acknowledge the role of groups or communities within Merri-bek or Darebin.
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Acknowledge the contributions of multi-cultural communities in Merri-bek or Darebin.
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Acknowledge important social and historical events that happened on or near the site.
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Are names of women who have contributed to the development of the Merri-bek or Darebin areas.
Traditional Aboriginal language names are subject to the involvement and agreement of the relevant Aboriginal communities. It is not appropriate that the names of living persons be considered for place naming. More information can be found in the Naming Merri-bek's Places Policy.
Other ways you can submit your name suggestion
Prefer not to use this online form? You can also make a submission in these ways:
Mail
Muhannad Alasali
Merri-bek City Council
Locked Bag 10, Brunswick 3056.
Email
malasali@merri-bek.vic.gov.au
In person
Merri-bek Civic Centre at 90 Bell Street Coburg
Make sure to include:
- Reference to Harding Street Bridge
- The name you are suggesting and your reasons for suggesting it
- Your name and address
About the project
Harding Street bridge is a timber suspension-style bridge over the Merri Creek. It opened in 1985 and features a 1.2-metre-wide timber deck that spans approximately 77 metres. The bridge provides a great view from which to observe the creek, and is an important link in the network of walking and bike riding paths in Coburg and Preston.
As more people discover the joys of walking, cycling and immersing themselves in nature, the need for improvements to this bridge has become increasingly apparent.
Community members report that the bridge is too narrow and creates difficulties passing other users, and both Merri-bek City Council and Darebin City Council have raised concerns over safety issues and potential user conflicts. In addition, the bridge has reached the end of its life, which results in high maintenance costs.
In June 2020 we hired a consultant to do a feasibility study of the bridge. The study determined that the existing bridge should be replaced.
Developing the new bridge
The new bridge is being designed to best suit the needs of both Merri-bek and Darebin community members.
In March 2021 we held drop-in sessions in which community members provided feedback on the new bridge concept design, and the design and alignment of the bridge has been updated according to the feedback received. Learn more about these changes in the drop-down menu below.
Following the 2020 feasibility study and 2021 community engagement the following decisions have been made. These decisions are also in line with relevant engineering standards.
- Harding Street bridge will be replaced
- The new bridge will feature a truss style design
- The bridge will sit at an angle, just south of the existing bridge
- The railing of the bridge will be 1.4m high and the truss structure sides will be 3 meters high
- The new bridge will be realigned on the Western end
- The new bridge will feature an improvement of the dog-leg bend on the Eastern end. This will allow better path connections for bike riders and pedestrians.
- The bridge will be 4m wide
- Goodwin Street will become the main access point on the eastern side of the bridge
Following our last community consultation on this project, we have made changes to the design of the new bridge.
One major change is the alignment of the bridge. The proposed design now sits at a 45-degree angle just south of the existing bridge.
This change in alignment addresses a number of community concerns. These include:
- Minimising the time that the bridge will need to be closed during construction
- Creating better path connections from Merri-bek to Darebin by removing the existing dog leg bend near Kendall Street
- Assisting in better connections to the Merri Creek Trail, with the inclusion of stairs and smooth path connections
The new bridge will be 4 metres wide, which the majority of community members who took part in our engagement noted this as their preferred width.
Creating better access for people with disability or other mobility concerns remains a priority, and we continue to work to achieve the best possible path connections during this design phase.
We are also looking to reduce the 'visual bulk' of the bridge, based on community feedback, ie. a more transparent bridge.
