Senator Barry O’Sullivan has fulfilled a promise he made to the Shire Council in January that he would bring Indigenous Affairs Minister Nigel Scullion and assistant minister for health Fiona Nash to the community. 

It will be a chance for Mornington Shire mayor Brad Wilson to pitch the importance of funding to upgrade the Mornington Shire Jetty, foreshore and parts of the local coast. 

“In addition to supporting the 4000 vessels currently operating in local waters through a range of services, the precinct will generate employment, education, and business opportunities for Mornington Island residents,” Cr Wilson said. “Council has a clear direction for (the) community, to go from merely surviving to a vision of thriving.

“By drawing on models adopted by other isolated island communities, council can partner with state and federal governments to deliver best-value outcomes that enhance a wide range of economic benefits for the whole community.” 

Delegates will attend the Mornington Island State School and meet with parents to discuss how to improve school attendance. 

Cr Wilson and the Shire’s chief executive officer Frank Mills will later host a discussion focusing on how the state and federal governments can improve the quality of life for indigenous families living in the shire. 

Following this, ministers and Senator O’Sullivan are scheduled to visit Mornington Island Hospital to learn further of how substance abuse and the home brew alcohol ban affects the community. 

There will be a meeting at the Justice and Governance Office Building discussing how to tackle youth unemployment and crime on the island. 

The meeting will give lawyers, Jobfind and Department of Employment representatives a chance to meet with the community’s elders and ministers to discuss further opportunities for the isolated community.