AAP


Australian Greens deputy leader Adam Bandt has retained the lower house seat of Melbourne.


Mr Bandt claimed victory minutes after Labor's candidate Cath Bowtell conceded defeat.


"It looks like we have won the seat of Melbourne," Mr Bandt told the Ten Network.


Mr Bandt had earlier predicted the result would go down to a handful of votes but he leads the two-party preferred count 55.4 per cent to 44.6, with about half the primary vote counted.


He credited a strong people power campaign for giving him a second term in parliament and the Greens retaining their only lower house seat.


"This is a win for people power but more than that this is a win for refugees.


"This is a vote that says we are sick of the race to the bottom. Politics and elections should be about the best in us not pandering to the worst in us."


He said the clear message from the result was that elections should not be about who can beat up on refugees the most.