NEWS DESK
Candidates urged to back Peninsula Trail THE Mornington Community Safelink Group is calling on Dunkley by-election candidates to commit to financing a safe connection between Frankston and Mornington. Convenor Graeme Rocke said that with more people walking and riding, the “critical missing link” of the Peninsula Trail which fell partly in the Dunkley electorate, would provide a connection to the peninsula for all residents of Dunkley and Melbourne’s southeast. Eight candidates are the contesting the Saturday 2 March by-election being held to fill the vacancy created by the death last December of Labor’s Peta Murphy (Eight line up for Dunkley, The News 13/2/24). Mornington Peninsula Shire Council recently released for public comment a draft of its strategic plan for the Peninsula Trail which identifies this section as being of its highest priority. The Peninsula Trail is council’s vision for a set of connected walking and riding paths that proponents hope will become one of Australia’s great destinations for both active travel and transport. Rocke said the Mornington Community Safelink Group supported the council plan. “At the last federal election the coalition recognised the value of this shared path and committed $5 million
dollars to it, if re-elected. We are now calling on both parties to recognise the priority the community places on this local project, and make a commitment,” he said. “The Safelink is consistent with the state government’s draft Frankston to Mornington Parklands Plan and, if developed in conjunction with both the existing steam railway and the potential of the area to create a green natural corridor, could become one of the peninsula’s major year round community assets.” The CEO of the Committee for Frankston & Mornington Peninsula, Josh Sinclair, said the project had strong community and local government support. “It’s a no brainer. This project would help connect the peninsula’s trail of networks, creating a worldwide cycling and walking network attracting visitors from across Australia,” he said. “Having better connected and healthy communities is a core pillar of local government and the committee, and this project should be a priority for the incoming federal member for Dunkley.” For details of the project go to mornpen.vic.gov.au/About-Us/Advocacy/Peninsula-Trail To comment go to shape.mornpen. vic.gov.au/a-strategic-plan-for-peninsula-trails Liz Bell
Living the dream: Liz Hincklin, Jacquie Beddows and Gidja Walker are the subjects of documentaries in the Dreamweavers series that focus on their inspirational activities after overcoming adversity. Picture: Yanni
Women’s adversity leads to inspiration DREAMWEAVERS, a series of short documentary films about three Mornington Peninsula-based women who have suffered adversity and inspire others, will be screened as part of the Flinders Fringe Festival on Sunday (25 February). The series was made by award winning film makers Heather ForbesMcKeon and photographer for The News, Yanni Dellaportas. Gidja Walker, an ecologist and ethnobotanist who has worked for years
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Our three new autumn exhibitions launch on Saturday 2 March. On tour from the JamFactory, Adelaide, New Exuberance: Contemporary Australian Textile Design highlights the exciting and dynamic work taking place in textile-based art and design in Australia.
Join Emma Shepherd from Sundance Studio for a weaving workshop at MPRG and a visit to her studio in Flinders. Hear from New Exuberance artists and learn from industry leaders of contemporary fashion and design at a symposium at Beleura House and Garden. Subscribe to our newsletter to find out about our program of talks, workshops and studio visits.
We also have New Wave 24, our annual showcase of incredibly talented local VCE and VCE VET students, and we are pleased to present the work of Flinders-based weaver Emma Shepherd of Sundance Studio in our foyer.
Entries for our biennial National Works on Paper (NWOP) prize are open until 5 April. This major award attracts leading artists from across the country working with paper. NWOP is one of our most loved projects, and we enjoy seeing how artists transform and re-imagine what working on or with paper can be.
We have some very special public and education programs to accompany this suite of exhibitions. Our affordable school holiday workshops are sure to foster a keen interest in art and develop children’s creative skills. Our autumn program includes textile-based activities and a weaving workshop.
We look forward to welcoming you to the gallery over autumn.
Danny Lacy MPRG Gallery Director
mprg.mornpen.vic.gov.au Civic Reserve, Dunns Road, Mornington Ph 5950 1580
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Southern Peninsula News
21 February 2024
Seawinds Community Hub, Rosebud. The third subject of Dreamweavers, Liz Hicklin, is an inspirational 92-yearold author, poet and raconteur whose enthusiasm for life and entertaining others challenges assumptions about old age.. Following its success in 2023, the Flinders Fringe Festival will be held from 23 to 25 February. For bookings go to flindersfringe.com.au/ Flinders Fringe is on Facebook and Instagram.
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protecting Earthscapes, overcame discrimination in a male dominated profession. Walker mentors young women entering the world of nature-based learning and an advocate for traditional owner custodianship. Jacquie Beddows suffered a stroke and aneurysm in 2011, aged 50. While no longer able to work as an early childhood support worker, she established Singing for Wellness in 2015 and Art for Wellness in 2019 at
