Advocacy

Every day Council makes decisions that affect our community. We represent you and work to deliver on the things you tell us are important.

To achieve community goals, we actively work with all levels of government and a range of other organisations. One of the ways we do this is by seeking financial support or policy change to deliver local projects.

Council delivers many services to our community, but when it comes to tackling bigger issues and projects, we need the support of Victorian and Commonwealth governments.

Download: Advocacy Strategy 2022(PDF, 2MB)

Advocacy highlights

Our advocacy focus areas 2024-25

  • Responding to our local housing and homelessness crisis
  • Rezone surplus land at the Port of Hastings to develop plans for housing, industry, agriculture and environmental protection
  • Recycled water infrastructure upgrades, to support our agriculture sector and ensure our farmers can grow food all year round
  • a new performing arts centre in Hastings

In addition to these projects, Council will continue to advocate for our other priorities, as these are projects we know will deliver real benefits and improve the quality of life for everyone on the Peninsula.

Our advocacy projects

We will pursue our priorities with Members of Parliament, Ministers, council alliances such as the South East Councils Climate Change Alliance (SECCCA) and other representatives of the Victorian and Commonwealth Governments.

Please help our campaign by contacting your local political candidates to express your support for any or all of the projects below.

Download: Community Advocacy Information Brochure(PDF, 1MB)

Advocating for our infrastructure projects

Nepean Priority Projects Mornington Priority Projects
Hastings Priority Projects
Nepean Priority Projects(PDF, 5MB) Mornington Priority Projects(PDF, 10MB) Hastings Priority Projects(PDF, 7MB)  

 

Key challenges for the Mornington Peninsula

There are many challenges facing our Mornington Peninsula region and community, these include:

  • significant population growth expected by 2036 – and with more people than ever able to work from home, there will likely be more people moving to the Peninsula
  • 8.5 million visitors each year to our region and a large permanent and non-permanent resident population
  • the impacts of climate change are expected to exacerbate in the future placing further pressure on our communities, economy and environment.
  • ensuring infrastructure supports the place we live, work, study and visit
  • the need to provide additional homes and services while protecting what we all love about the Peninsula – trees, open spaces, beaches, hinterland, a unique agricultural mix and a sense of community
  • health and social issues, including gender equality and housing affordability, that continue to impact our community, where there are areas of social and economic disadvantage alongside significant wealth.

During the drafting of our Community Vision, the Citizen’s Panel considered a range of research and demographic information. Further information on the key challenges for the Mornington Peninsula can be found in the Citizens Panel Background Reading report.

Latest news

Contact your State and Federal members

Chris Crewther, State member for Mornington

chris.crewther@vic.liberal.org.au

0480 383 143


Paul Mercurio, State member for Hastings

paul.mercurio@vic.alp.org.au

0493 456 448


Sam Groth, State member for Nepean

sam.groth@vic.liberal.org.au

0413 836 797


Jodie Belyea MP, Member for Dunkley

jodie.belyea.mp@aph.gov.au

03 9781 2333


Zoe McKenzie, Federal member for Flinders

zoe.mckenzie.mp@aph.gov.au

03 5977 9082

Our pledge trackers

In the lead up to the state and federal elections, we kept track of all candidates' election pledges for the Mornington Peninsula.

Better buses

Our former Mayor, Steve Holland, and the local member for Hastings, Paul Mercurio MP, took a bus trip together in late October 2023, during the Metropolitan Transport Forum's bus awareness week. Better buses are still needed on the Peninsula - more routes as well as more reliable, more frequent buses. The cross-peninsula bus service will be a welcome addition for commuters and is currently being planned by the Victorian Government.