Record result for Greens in Australian poll

The Greens snatched more than 11 percent of the vote in Australia's too-close-to-call elections, likely winning a rare lower house seat in what the party described as a "Greenslide".

With some 77.23 percent of the vote counted, the environmentally-minded party took a record 11.46 percent of the ballot, figures from the Australian Electoral Commission showed.

"The green vote is on the rise – green values are now mainstream values," Adam Bandt, the Green candidate winning the inner city seat of Melbourne from Labor, told national broadcaster ABC.

The election is a record result for the party, which won some 7.8 percent of the vote in the last election in 2007 - its highest result until now.

Resounding verdict on climate policies: Bandt

Bandt, the first Green candidate to win a seat in Canberra's lower house in a national election, said the result was a "resounding verdict" on the climate policies touted by the major parties.

"The government has chosen to delay action on climate change and the coalition is in denial about it," Bandt said. "We've run a campaign that we need to take urgent action."

Neither Prime Minister Julia Gillard or her right-leaning Liberal/National coalition opponent Tony Abbott have won enough seats to take office, meaning they will likely have to negotiate with four independents and Bandt to form a government.

In the Senate, the Greens have also increased their influence, according to early predictions which suggest they will end up with nine seats in the upper house and have the final say on all legislation.

Undisputed third major party: Brown

Greens national leader Senator Bob Brown said the party had "come of age" and were now the undisputed third major political party in Australia, describing the performance as a "Greenslide".

Former prime minister Kevin Rudd won a thundering victory in 2007 on a strongly pro-green platform, ratifying the Kyoto Protocol as one of his first acts in office and taking a lead role at failed climate talks in Copenhagen.

But Rudd was axed by Gillard in a ruthless coup just three weeks before the election was called, and she has faced criticism over her policy of consulting with a "citizens' assembly" of 150 ordinary Australians on climate action.

Her rival Abbott is famous for once dismissing climate change science as "absolute crap" and opposing emissions trading laws or a carbon tax.

Gillard meets with Bandt and Brown

The prime minister met personally with Bandt and Brown in Melbourne on Sunday, following the inconclusive election result.

Senator Brown said he had not spoken about climate policy with Ms Gillard, and it was "very early" to be speaking about the issue.

"It's jumping the gun," he said.

However Senator Brown indicated the Greens would want effective action on the issue.

"The minimum for climate change is to take action, to get something under way."

The Greens would wait for the election's final results and see how the new government wanted to legislate on climate change, before making up its mind, Senator Brown said.

Greens will negotiate: Brown

Senator Brown said when it came to working with the government of the day, the Greens were not into making demands.

"We are into getting the best outcome through negotiation," he said, adding that serious talks couldn't really begin until the result of the election was clear.

"When we know about that, we'll be able to more earnestly get into talking about the shape of both houses of parliament."

Senator Brown said nine Greens would hold the balance of power in the Senate, but pointed out the new upper house would not operate until July 1, 2011.

Senator Brown said neither the mining tax nor the carbon tax would figure in negotiations for government.

"They're not going to be at this stage of any process, parliamentary process, of getting a very stable outcome for the people of Australia from the vote made yesterday," he said.