The electorate of Batman, in Melbourne’s north has changed dramatically in the past few years.
Traditionally populated with working-class migrants, there’s been a shift in demographics, particularly in the inner suburbs, as affordability has pushed people out.
The electorate has long been a safe Labor seat. It’s been held by David Feeney since 2013, following Martin Ferguson’s resignation.
Mr Feeny is one of the powerbrokers behind the Rudd-Gillard switch and considered a strong campaigner, by Labor strategists.
But he's now facing the fight of his political life, compounded by a series of campaign gaffs, including not declaring his 2.3 million dollar Northcote home.
The multicultural electorate starts with Clifton Hill bordering the CBD in the south, moves into gentrified Northcote and Thornbury, before crossing Bell Street further north into Preston, and working-class Reservoir and Thomastown.
Editor of Melbourne University’s Election Watch, Cathy Harper, described the shift in demographic within the seat.
“There's a bit of a divide, south of Bell street it's becoming a lot younger, it's becoming a lot more highly-professional, but in the north there's the sort of more traditional migrant family type situation,” she said.
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After four elections, the Greens Batman candidate, Alex Bhathal, thinks she can finally wrestle victory.
She's targeting education and health, and is increasingly hearing from people living in the northern part of the electorate who are wanting to know more about Greens policies.
“I had a phone call from a grandmother a couple of weeks ago,” Ms Bhathal told SBS.
“She felt that Liberal and Labor were looking really similar, and she could see that the Greens was a party that was sort of standing out on our own principles.”
Preferencing deals have been hotly debated this election campaign, and perhaps nowhere more so than in the seat of Batman.
Though Labor holds it with a healthy 10.6 per cent margin, Cathy Harper says it’s likely to swing towards the Greens if the Liberal party sends its preferences their way.
“In 2013, had that happened, the Greens would have won," she said.
"And if that happens this time around, if the Liberal party does that for strategic reasons, rather than ideological reasons, you'd expect to see a Greens win in Batman.”
The Greens say they’ll preference Labor in the inner Melbourne electorates, but haven’t committed to other seats across the country, saying preferences are up to the voters.
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former Victorian Labor Premier Steve Bracks told SBS: “If they do a deal, it will hurt their primary vote.”
“Most Green political party voters don’t like the fact that their party would do a deal with the Liberal party,” Mr Bracks said.
Mr Bracks doesn’t believe Batman will become the Greens second lower house seat, and is hopeful the ALP can hold on.
“In the end I think people will realise it is largely a protest vote, it is not a party that's ever going to form government, even if it has an influence on who's going to be in government," he said.
“You're better off making a decision on who might be in government in the future.”
While former Liberal Premier, Jeff Kennett, isn't so sure.
“The reality is, increasingly, more seats are going in to, what I would call, prospectively doubtful seats,” Mr Kennett said.
David Feeney declined our request for an interview.
Over two weeks SBS quizzed residents on their political leanings and discovered a shift to the Greens.
Thornbury resident Shayne Dennehy was traditionally a Labor voter but will back the Greens on July 2.
“Like most Labor people, I was disaffected, they’re just not dealing with the issues that I think the Australian community wants,” she said.
“The carbon tax now is a dirty word. Clearly the asylum seekers, we need to deal with that. They’re the people talking that language, so that’s who I’ll go to.”
Another local is going Green too.
“Because the other two have had plenty of chances and it's same old, same old, year after year after year,” the voter said.
