The Mornington Peninsula is known as a holiday destination but less apparent is the significant social and economic challenges faced by our residents.
- Residents in six townships suffer housing stress that is higher than the Australian average
- One third suffer rental stress
- Weekly household income is $1276, much less than the rest of greater Melbourne ($1542)
- 9.3% more reports of family violence than Melbourne metro average and 16% of our homeless residents sleep rough every night
This social and economic disadvantage will be amplified by the effects of COVID-19.
Independent research has identified that for the Mornington Peninsula, the relative negative economic impacts of COVID-19 are forecast to be greater than for Australia overall.
Our Gross Regional Product will fall by 21% compared with a 6.9% drop for Australia.
The Mornington Peninsula stands to lose 5,900 jobs, representing an 11% reduction in employment.
Many of our largest industries are being hit hardest by the COVID-19 crisis.
- Accommodation
- Food
- Retail
- Arts and culture
- Construction
These play a key role in our tourism sector, which supports 7% of jobs, compared to 6% for Victoria and 6.2% for Australia.
These impacts are expected to exacerbate the underlying vulnerability that exists due to the significant social and economic challenges faced by our residents.
To address this, the Shire has developed a comprehensive business support package —including fast-tracking of approvals, temporary cessation of fees and charges, and providing rate and rent relief options for those in Council properties.
We have moved quickly to look after our vulnerable and isolated citizens by implementing a Caring for our Community initiative that has seen over 2000 care packages of food and essential items delivered throughout our community.
Building on the work we have done, we are now looking to other levels of government for support and funding to assist our community’s recovery.
The Shire has identified a range of opportunities for State and Federal Government to invest in strategic projects and infrastructure on the Mornington Peninsula that will help deliver a strong economic recovery and continued resilience.
These key strategic projects are shovel-ready and designed to support the hardest-hit sectors.
Technology Park
Background: The Mornington Peninsula faces a long-term shortage of industrial land.
Project: A technology park in the Port of Hastings State Significant Industrial Precinct. (The Shire is currently undertaking the Strategic Land Use and Infrastructure Assessment for an appropriate site.)
Benefits:
- 3,000 jobs
- Support our growing manufacturing sector, including food and marine
- Create opportunities for priority manufacturing such as high-value medical technologies and pharmaceutical
- Stimulate investment and innovation
- Create full-time, year-round skilled local jobs
Peninsula Bay Trail
Background: The Mornington Peninsula Bay Trail is one of the most scenic shared trails in Victoria, however it has ‘missing links’ that hinder accessibility and use.
Project: Complete missing trail links
Benefits:
- 83 jobs
- Attract visitors to the region for cycling and recreation
- Increase use by local residents to improve health and wellbeing
- Create an active, sustainable transport link
The Briars
Background: The Briars is a beautiful conservation site with a wildlife sanctuary, walking trails, heritage homestead, nursery, outdoor education camp, eateries and more.
Project: Deliver stage one of two in The Briars Master Plan – a joint community vision for transforming the 230-hectare site into a significant Victorian destination, which will:
- Expand the wildlife sanctuary
- Re-introduce locally extinct and endangered plant species
- Add a Wild Dreaming Aboriginal cultural experience
- Create a Green Dreaming regenerative agricultural hub
Benefits:
- Create 290 jobs for stages one and two
- Increase visitation to the region
- Provide education and training
- Build capacity as a hub for conservation and agricultural research and development.
Learn more about the Briars Master Plan
Recycled Water
Background: The Mornington Peninsula is a worldclass food growing region and an integral part of Melbourne’s food bowl, producing large volumes of high-quality produce year-round. The ongoing sustainability of the $1.1 billion agricultural sector is under threat from lack of water.
Project: Provide access to high-quality recycled water from the South Eastern Outfall, which runs at 350 megalitres per day.
Benefits:
- 360 jobs
- Provide water security
- Provide significant economic and environmental benefits
- Provide opportunities for innovation in agriculture
- Reduce reliance on existing scarce water resources
Peninsula Homelessness Package
Background: The COVID-19 crisis is placing significant economic, psychological and social pressure on our already vulnerable communities.
Projects:
- Design and construct two social housing developments in Mornington ($1.8 m)
- Group home for adults with intellectual disability in Balnarring ($300 k)
- Housing Access Point service in Hastings ($200 k)
- Salvation Army Intensive Case
- Management initiative on the Peninsula ($175 k)
Benefits:
- 18 jobs
- Provide much-needed intervention for the Peninsula’s high rates of rough sleeping
- Provide increased outreach plugging a significant services gap
- Life-changing access to housing
Better Buses
Background: The Peninsula has the second lowest provision of public transport per person in metropolitan Melbourne. Our Better Buses campaign:
- Reached more than 92,500 people
- Received more than 2,500 submissions
- Told us 20% of respondents did not have access to private transport
- Told us 14% of respondents had transport issues accessing jobs and education.
Project: To improve our public transport network with a fully integrated, smart technology bus network that:
- is frequent, direct and reliable
- within 20 minutes of residents’ homes
- gets people where they need to go for work, education and services.
Benefits:
- Residents can get to work and educational institutions
- Improve access to vital health services
Learn more about Better Buses
Peninsula Community Facilities
Background: Community facilities provide safe, accessible places for people to connect, learn, participate in passive and active recreational activities and feel included.
Southern Peninsula Youth Hub ($9 m): A youth-friendly site with integrated services and programs for young people, including health, mental health, education, training and recreation services and programs. Young people on the southern Peninsula have relatively high rates of depression, road trauma, youth suicide, early school disengagement, homelessness, family violence and housing insecurity.
Mornington Peninsula Cultural Precinct feasibility study ($75 k): To investigate the feasibility of a cultural precinct for performing arts, galleries, library, history museum and incubator spaces.
Flinders Community Hub ($4 m): Redevelopment of the existing Civic Hall to broaden its usage as a Neighbourhood House, community centre, chamber of commerce and mobile library service.
Hastings Sound Shell ($3.5 m): To provide a space for recreation and activity in an outdoor, social hub, including large community events.
Sorrento Community Centre ($0.5 m): To upgrade the centre’s internal amenities, storage and public toilets.
Sorrento Museum ($0.75 m): Expansion of the existing museum to include a climate controlled storage room to safely keep museum artefacts plus more gallery space.
Peninsula Pavillions Package
Background: Sporting pavilions support the growth in organised sport.
Benefits:
- Increase in health and wellbeing
- Increase in community connection
- Increased accessibility standards
- Increased female participation in sport.
Projects: Outlined below, these projects are for the creation and/or renewal of facilities.
- Emil Madsen Reserve Mount Eliza ($6 m)
- Civic Reserve Mornington ($5.5 m)
- Alexandra Park Mornington ($2.5 m)
- AR & F Ditterich Reserve Main Ridge ($2 m)
- Red Hill Recreation Reserve Red Hill ($2 m)
- Bunguyan Reserve Tyabb ($0.25 m)
- Marna Reserve Dromana ($0.25 m)
Road Safety
Background: Among Victoria’s 79 municipalities, the Peninsula had the highest number of road deaths in 2010 and again in 2019.
Projects:
Stage 1 Commence 20/21 total $40 m
- Compact Roundabouts ($15 m)
- Rye Township Plan – Point Nepean Rd ($15 m)
- Forest and Uralla Intersections ($10 m)
Stage 2 Commence 22/23 total $90 m
- MP Freeway/Jetty Rd Overpass ($65 m)
- MP Freeway Sound Barriers ($25 m)
Benefits:
- 1,036 jobs
- Improve road safety and access
- Facilitate safe, active transport for children commuting to and from school
- Contribute to Victorian Government’s Towards Zero initiative.
Write to local State and Federal Government MPs
To help us attract government investment to boost the local economy and create jobs, we urge the community to write to local State and Federal government MPs.
Chris Brayne MP, State Member for Nepean
Shop1, McCrae Plaza, 739 Point Nepean Road, McCrae, VIC 3938
Chris.Brayne@parliament.vic.gov.au
The Hon. Jane Garrett , Member for Eastern Victoria
1/23 James St, Pakenham VIC 3810
jane.garrett@parliament.vic.gov.au
The Hon Greg Hunt MP, Federal Member for Flinders
PO Box 647 Somerville, Vic 3912
Greg.Hunt.MP@aph.gov.au
The following wording may help you in writing your own email:
I am writing to urge you to support the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s stimulus package.
The negative economic impacts of COVID-19 are forecast to be greater for the Mornington Peninsula than for Australia overall. Our Gross Regional Product will fall by 21%, much worse than the 6.9% drop forecast for Australia as a whole.
The Mornington Peninsula has suffered one of the heaviest hits to employment in the state due to the coronavirus pandemic, with 6000 jobs lost and an 11 per cent drop in job opportunities.
The Shire has a package of projects ready to go that would boost the local economy and create much-needed jobs. These projects will spearhead the economic recovery of the Mornington Peninsula region in the wake of the coronavirus crisis.
By supporting these investment opportunities, you will kick start our recovery and support our community. It is vital we retain and create jobs here on the Peninsula to ensure the region is able to withstand the economic impact of this crisis.