Peninsula locals turn out to support local arts and environment

Local journalist and public speaker, Tracee Hutchison with members of the Peninsula Climate Alliance that co-hosted the public meeting at Flinders in conjunction with Save Our Arts MP

On a chilly Saturday, 2 August the Flinders Civic Hall was at capacity as people from across the Peninsula poured in to voice their support for local arts and climate action initiatives now under threat from recent Mornington Shire Council (MSC) cuts to funding and its scraping of the Climate Emergency Declaration and the Climate Action Plan.

In attendance were Mayor Anthony March (Briars), the Shire CEO, Mark Stoermer, and councillors Kate Roper (Beek Beek) and Michael Stephens (Warringe).

The Flinders Civic Centre was filled with locals keen to understand more about local arts and environment initiatives

Local musician, Marty Williams got the the audience joining in with a rousing rendition of his song Grandfather Sun that is soon to be released with help from Performing Arts Development Fund grant- one of those now axed by the council.

He was just one of the artists who spoke passionately, respectfully and gratefully for the opportunities afforded to them by MSC grants.

Flinders Fringe Festival co- founder and executive producer, Claire Thorn noted that Mornington Shire funding contributions in the past had made possible the festival that attracts visitors from all over Australia to the area.

“These creative grants have built a creative community and a creative economy that is thriving , and it’s impossible to imagine how Fringe might have to be be without the significant investment from our local council,” she said.

“We are urging councillors to reconsider these cuts as they have committed to do in the mid-financial year review, and reinstate eligibility for sole trader creatives to apply.”

We watched Bellow Below, an artistic project exploring the sounds of Western Port Bay using sensitive hydrophones and geophone. It is part of a project called Across the Waters that was created by Diana Chester and Jo Lane as part of the Flinders Fringe Festival.

We enjoyed a short film from the first Fringe festival with the beautiful puppetry of Weedy Seadragons, and heard from VCE students Maya and Nook, who spoke highly of a local theatre group called Dreamhouse where young people can find belonging and connection.

We heard from other beneficiaries of past MSC grants: the band, Velvet Bloom, and filmmaker, Damian McLindon, whose documentary, The Ranch lifts the lid on homelessness that is rampant in our community.

There were also climate change experts.

Zooming in from Canberra, The Australia Institute’s Climate and Energy program director, Polly Hemming provided an explainer on the International Court of Justice’s recent landmark advisory opinion stating that countries have a legal obligation to protect the climate and could be held liable for failing to do so.

Mornpen Landcare Network chair, Dr Greg Holland spoke of the impact of climate change on the Peninsula including the flooding of homes and emergence of salt plains.

Save Westernport’s Jane Carnegie highlighted the leadership role that the MPC had taken in 2019 when it adopted a climate emergency plan, and outlined the threat that funding cuts posed to organisations working towards net zero and trying to mitigate against the climate damage. These groups have recently joined forces to form the Peninsula Climate Alliance that includes Mornington Peninsula Landcare, Save Westernport, Repower Mornington, Westernport Biosphere, Flinders Zero Carbon Community, Nepean Conservation Group, the Victorian Farmers Federation Peninsula Branch and Mornington Peninsula Koala Conservation.

“Our communities want our council to take action on climate,” Ms Carnegie said. “We are already seeing the impact of coastal erosion and extreme weather, and we are increasingly at risk.”

Local musician, Marty Williams with Master of Ceremonies, Tracee Hutchison

Event MC, Tracee Hutchison said the meeting brought together the arts and environment groups with a shared purpose. “There is a huge intersect between our local creatives amplifying local environmental issues through their work, “ she said. “It makes sense the arts and environmental groups would come together in our advocacy for the place we love.”

There was no doubt that she expressed the sentiment of the audience.

When Jane Carnegie raised a motion calling on council to reinstate the Climate Emergency Declaration and the Climate Action Plan,” the hall erupted in a overwhelming show of hands and cheers of support.

The day brought home to us all that the arts are community, culture and connection; that we are lucky to have so many local creative practitioners on the Peninsula, who have been drawn to our part of the world because of its beauty , space and untouched environment; and that we need to work together to maintain this.

Watch this space for updates!

For more background on the Mornington Shire Council’s cuts to the 2025-26 budget, go to our article written before its decision to proceed with them.