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It has been a busy summer in the Bellarine electorate. In the first week of January I joined the community to officially open a new wall art mural at Portarlington, a wonderful collaboration of the community and painted by artist Heather Duff. The Portarlington pier landscape is now painted on the senior citizens building and is a much-loved part of the community.

Only a few weeks later Portarlington was buzzing again with the Portarlington Mussel Festival. Locals and visitors visit the Bellarine and see live music and market stalls, enjoy fresh food and celebrate our famous Portarlington mussels. With nearly 200 volunteers working exceptionally hard to make this festival another successful event, I do like to acknowledge outgoing president Richard Underwood and his family, who have put an immeasurable amount of hours into running this renowned annual event for over 15 years now. Over the holidays it was also fantastic to see kids out and about using their little angler kits and the fishing rods at incredible beaches and fishing spots around the Bellarine.

Lastly, I would like to say a big thankyou to our volunteers and emergency services across the Bellarine, who have worked hard keeping our locals and tourists safe this summer. To our surf lifesaving volunteers patrolling our beaches, SES and CFA for being on call, our local police members and those who put up their hand to help, whether volunteering at markets, sporting clubs or community events, thank you for your hard work. It is much appreciated. I am proud to represent the Bellarine and looking forward to working hard for the community again this year.