Chris Crewther (Dunkley, Liberal Party) Share this | Hansard source

I rise today to speak on a very important date in the calendar of many people in my electorate of Dunkley. For the past 20 years local residents have flocked in their thousands to the main street of the town of Mornington to celebrate all things local. The Mornington Main Street Festival, the most anticipated festival in the community for over 20 years, is held annually on the third Sunday in October and continues to attract a crowd of over 20,000 visitors each year. It has been run by Christina Nolan and her wonderful group of volunteers. This Sunday, 16 October, the festival will again occur and will again, I am sure, prove to be a day to remember for locals and visitors of all ages to my beautiful electorate of Dunkley. It is on from 11 o'clock to five o'clock this Sunday, and I encourage all of those in my electorate to come down and those beyond our electorate who may be tourists to come and visit.

The Mornington Main Street Festival is a great day out that celebrates the uniqueness of Dunkley. While there, you can sample some of the scrumptious local delights that we have to offer, whether it is the agricultural produce from all down the peninsula or tucker on offer from Mornington Masala, DOC Mornington, the Grand Hotel, The Rocks or the Boyz 4 Breakie, just to name a few—and accompanied by locally crafted beverages and wines from places like Brooklands of Mornington, Merchant Lane and others. Of course, it would not be a full experience without following up with a great quality coffee and something special from Yummo Ice Cream or from Vespa's Gelataria—one of the local favourites that the Minister for Foreign Affairs experienced when she visited my electorate earlier this year. The forecast is for 16 degrees and rainy, which is, I guess, a typical Melbourne day. But, given Melbourne's reputation, it could well be a fine sunny day with a top of 22 degrees later on—four seasons in one day, as they say.

Either way, it is a perfect day out where the whole family can see some of the best that my electorate of Dunkley has to offer. While you are there you could go and check out the Mornington foreshore, the clean-up of which, by a Green Army project, I was proud to announce during my local campaign. You could also wander along Main Street in Mornington and check out the Empire Street mall. During my campaign I announced $600,000 for enhancements to the mall and to the playground there to make it accessible to people of all ages and abilities, as well as upgrading the memorial fountain, which will be moved to the local park. We have a village-like atmosphere in Mornington, and it is the gateway to the peninsula, where country life begins. Please come down and experience this festival in Mornington this Sunday.

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