#218
And the winners are ….
13+ Age category
Feldman Family for their short film: Wish Fish
Prize: $150 Luna Park Family Pass
“Hi this is a little film we made about our iso experience. The whole family of six were involved in making this project. It’s a great time capsule for us now.”
And TWiSK agrees. This entry captured the mood, the seasons, and the pause for joy that ISO offered.
Fish Wish from Zoe Arnott on Vimeo.
Runners up
Dorelle Davidson, James Cattell, and their elder daughter, Ruby.
Prize: $50 Luna Park gift card
“We made it to acknowledge the 30th birthday during May isolation of our younger daughter, Edith, who lives some distance away near Ballarat, when she was unable to host the big weekend party she’d envisaged.”
And TWiSK agrees. Don’t let ISO get in the way of creative family fun. St Kilda style.
12 and under
Mary Fisher: My activities during isolation.
Prize: $150 Luna Park Family Pass
It’s amazing how much fun you can have at home. Mary made the most of her ISO, as shown in her short film.
Runner up
Tara Curtis: Eco art a walk on the beach
Prize: $50 Luna Park gift card
During her three-month isolation /home schooling period, Tara (with mum and others) frequented St Kilda beach for daily exercise. An avid lover of nature, Tara has a passion for creating art from nature using natural products from leaves to shells to flowers and many more. She is an eco-warrior by nature and uses other recycled products in general to create her eco art.
Well done. TWiSK says better to be an eco-warrior than a worrier!
Arts Rescue Grants close TODAY @ Port Phillip
LAST CHANCE: Grants are up to and between $4,000 and $8,000 depending on the category. You better hurry, applications close 8 June.
More info
Innovation breakfast webinar @ Sustainable Business Network
Tuesday 9 June, 9 – 9.30 am
Meet Dr Scott Valentine, a Senior circular economy specialist at KPMG and former Associate Dean of Sustainability and Urban Planning at RMIT, and hear his short presentation on the Kaludborg Symbiosis – an network of businesses pioneering the circular economy.
Free webinar
Use this link only on Tuesday 9 June, 9 – 9.30 am
Open for bookings @ Linden
From Tuesday 9 June, two sessions daily: 11.30 am – 1 pm* and 2 pm – 3.30 pm*
Closed Mondays
The gallery and exhibits are open again but bookings are required so social distancing can be managed. It’s not so hard, bookings can be made for two sessions each day, and you can visit at anytime during your session.
*The first session on Fridays is dedicated to older and more vulnerable members of our community.
Book
Kitchen Library Donations @ Elwood St Kilda Neighbourhood Learning Centre
To help build a sustainable neighbourhood, ESNLC is setting up a Kitchen Library. It’s like their popular Toy Library but with kitchen kit – clever.
They hope to open before Christmas, and are now looking for donations or pledges.
On their wish list are new and working donations (preferably with a manuals) of useful kitchen kit, including: cake baking trays, cookie cutters, apple corers, flan moulds, cake stands, tiered sandwich/cake stands, muffin trays, bread maker, mix master, silicon moulds, knife sharpener etc.
Contact Vicki sustainability@esnlc.com.au
Please do not drop off stuff, they will pick up from you.
Opening Night @ St Kilda Film Festival
Friday 12 June 8 pm
Roll out the red carpet at home, St Kilda’s Film Festival invites you all to opening night. There are eight short films on the program. Be warned: The films are great, but the obligatory speeches are another matter.
Opening Night program
Navigating the Festival is easy
The program has been curated into themed sessions. View for free any time after the opening program concludes at 10 pm Friday 12 June until midnight Saturday 20 June.
Free and more accessible that ever
Resistance Australian Premier @ Jewish International Film Festival
Classic @ Home, From Wednesday 10 June
Resistance is available exclusively via Classic @ At Home streaming service. The film traces the little-known story of world-renowned mime Marcel Marceau before he became famous. Originally named Marcel Mangel, he worked with a group of unsung heroes who put themselves in harm’s way to rise above hatred and oppression during World War II. $19.99
More info
St Kilda Repair Cafe @ Zoom
Sunday 14 June, 2 pm -5 pm via Zoom link
Due to the COVID-19 group-gathering restrictions, the Repair cafe is online. This will be a trial to see how a new method of virtual instructions between a skilled volunteer and a community member will flow, where the community member becomes the repairer!
More info
Debra Byrne & Dion Hirini @ Memo live stream
Sunday 14 June, 7.30 pm
Up-close performance with two great performers. $12 / $15
Info and tix
St Kilda & Elwood Neighbourhood Watch @ Facebook
This new Facebook page (under the auspices of Neighbourhood Watch Victoria) is about community and connecting; it aims to help create a vibrant, inclusive, and positive community.
Get involved by following this page and stay up to date with what is happening in our neighbourhood.
Facebook
Soon
Cooking with what’s around you @ EcoCentre Zoom
Thursday 18 June, 6.00 pm – 7.30 pm
Learn some clever ways to cook with weeds, native plants and food scraps
Join Ella Ryan, Peter Kelly and April Seymore as they use edible weeds and indigenous plants in the kitchen.
They’ll also show you how to make apple cider vinegar with your apple cores.
Info
Mick Thomas & The Roving Commission @ Memo live stream
Sunday 21 June, 8 pm
Mick Thomas & Roving Commission are real troubadours and Brian Nankervis is going to MC the gig. $12 / $15
Tix
Budget blues @ Port Phillip
Draft budget to be revealed Wednesday 17 June
With a $32M COVID hit to revenue, council is set to reveal a revised budget for 20/21 later this month. Council has already flagged a list of$16.9M in cuts and a rise in rates. Tricky situation in a recession.
Follow the Council budget process
Editorial comment
Community looks to budget for leadership
Unlike State and Federal Budgets, council budgets are rarely topics of conversation.
But, like many aspects of life, COVID may have changed that.
Next to the Melbourne CBD, our city by the bay is possibly the hardest hit local government area in metro Melbourne. Data shows that job losses are greater in Port Phillip than the rest of Victoria and so is the economic decline.
Not surprising since the COVID restrictions focused on key local strengths, namely hospitality, arts, recreation and tourism.
And now the reality is dawning that it is going to be a long trudge to recovery.
A night at the theatre, in your dreams. A dance in a bustling pub with a live band, dream on sunshine.
A concert at the Palais, a ride at Luna Park, a BBQ in any park. Overseas visitors, interstate visitors, visitors from Fitzroy even? Who knows?
The next Council budget is all about leadership in a crisis.
Sure, council revenue is down but that is not the main crisis.
The crisis is in the community.
The next council budget needs to be outward looking and tuned to the COVID recovery in the community.
Council, just like the rest of us, needs to do things differently to emerge positively from this (and future) crises.
As always, your comments are invited and will be acknowledged respectfully.
Email me
Tuesday update: The Age names Elwood is one of the hardest hit suburbs
$750K cut from playgrounds – leaving precious little to play with
Last week we asked for more information on planned cuts to Council’s 20/21 Parks and Playground Renewal and Upgrade program. We specifically asked for details of what will be cut – but that list would have made you cry – so instead Council gave us the official list of what is still going ahead ….
“The program next year will include:
• Construction upgrade to Buckingham Reserve
• Minor Renewals to Alma Park East, Te Arai and Jacoby
• Design work for Elwood Neighbourhood Community Centre Reserve, Sol Green and Renfrey.”
But before you burst into tears, in other budget lines there is some more playground and park activity, namely: upgrading JL Murphy Reserve regional play space and Stage 1 of Rotary Park upgrades (on St Kilda foreshore).
The cancellation of free entry into Ripponlea Estate Gardens is still being considered.
TWiSK says get down there while you can for free.
Rippon Lea Info
Next week’s budget bite topic …
$700K cut from Building Safety and Accessibility Program
Yikes. Have you seen the standard of accessible toilets available to the public in Council facilities? Some of it is below par. I know, I use them. To make fair comment on this, the public needs to know whats actually being cut. Please detail the $700K in cuts proposed.
Economic Stimulus & Business Forum @ Port Phillip
View 1.55 hour recording of the 3 June event
Bravo to Council for convening this forum on business in the time of COVID.
Bravo also to the 63 people who tuned-in for the two-hour live show – technical problems and all!
We’ve chosen some highlights to make life easier.
Steve Bentley, Mainstreet Australia, offered a ‘street level’ business perspective.
Good ideas but no images – basically audio only
10 minutes
Response to TWiSKs question on notice
TWiSK submitted an open-ended question about the options open to council to help local business respond to the devastating impact of the COVID restrictions.
This clip has the response from Mayor Bernadene Voss and CEO Peter Smith in full.
2 minutes
Better use of public space
Asked about what’s been working in other areas, Steve Bentley and Felicia Mariani offered some interesting ideas on how Council can better use public space in partnership with local business.
3 minutes
Next week …
Following on from the Forum, we’ll a a look at the CEO’s placemaking powers and how they have been used and can be used. It’s an interesting story, surprisingly untold….watch this space.
Pub open reader review
We asked readers to review pub’s as they re-open with patron limits. Here is our first.
Maybe you could be our second?
Cr Andrew Bond
The Post, 304-306 St Kilda Rd
Parma with a pot (or two)
“Had a Parma and a few beers at The Post. The food at the post has always been a highlight. The Post now has a great room upstairs that has a couple of open fires that are perfect for kicking back and enjoying a few whiskey’s when one is required to isolate.”
Kudos for local Mourning Reflection
Port Phillip’s We-akon Dilinja mourning reflection on Australia Day has been acknowledged for Continued Leadership in Reconciliation in the 2020 Reconciliation Victoria and the Victorian Local Governance Association HART (Helping Achieve Reconciliation Together) Awards.
The event was organised by Boonwurrung Land and Sea Council and City of Port Phillip.
Past TWiSK COVID emails