with really simple but effective musical parts. The friendships that people make along the way and the community spirit is also just amazing.” For more information visit popchoir. com.au
Meals for mental health
VOTERS line up in Frankston. Picture: Gary Sissons
‘We must do better’ after referendum result - MP Brodie Cowburn brodie@baysidenews.com.au MORE work must be done for the wellbeing of Indigenous Australians in the wake of the Voice to Parliament referendum, Dunkley MP Peta Murphy says. At last weekend’s referendum, the Indigenous Voice to Parliament was emphatically rejected by voters. With a little more than 78 percent of the vote counted, 60.6 percent of people voted “No”. Frankston has a large population of Indigenous people compared to other local government areas. Murphy says the Indigenous community in her electorate will be “hurting” from the outcome of the vote. “Frankston has the second highest proportion of First Nations people across all metropolitan areas and is projected to have Victoria’s largest
First Nations population by 2028,” she said. “My heart goes out to our local First Nations community, particularly Nairm Marr Djambana and First Peoples’ Health and Wellbeing who no doubt will be hurting. “While the result is not the one I had hoped, I am proud of the respectful way Dunkley residents took part in this referendum. Regardless of the result, we can and must do better as we work towards closing the gap.” The Isaacs electorate, which spans from Carrum to Moorabbin encompassing Keysborough and Dandenong South, is one of the few Victorian electorates which may return a majority “Yes” vote when counting is complete. With more than 81 percent of the vote counted, 50.2 percent of Isaacs voters cast a “Yes” vote. Isaacs MP Mark Dreyfus has been at the forefront of the federal government’s “Yes” campaign as the attorney-general. The Voice bill was first tabled by Dreyfus in March.
In Dunkley, 56.4 percent of residents voted “No” with around 80 percent of the vote counted. The proposed Voice would have taken the form of an advisory body of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, who would provide feedback on proposed laws and make representation to government on Indigenous matters. Although the referendum to enshrine the Voice into the constitution has failed, a similar body could still be legislated by parliament in the future. Frankston-based Indigenous group Nairm Marr Djambana campaigned for the Voice. Before the vote its board released a statement saying “Indigenous Australia has made the reasonable request to be listened to about their own issue and their own communities. This is not about what will be lost, for nothing will be lost, but there is much to be gained. We implore our fellow Australians to support us [and] make history.”
POP Choir members record a music video to be released with their new song. Picture: Supplied
Choir sings for charity A CHOIR group which rehearses across Mordialloc, Mornington, Oakleigh, and Moorabbin has recorded a single to raise money for charity. The song, titled Window With Smiles, was recorded by Pop Choir at Iwaki Auditorium. It is scheduled to release online on 22 October. Money from the song’s release will be donated to The Lighthouse Foundation, a youth homelessness charity. Pop Choir has around 600 members. It was founded in 2014 by performers Darryl Moulton and Sharon Stokes. Moulton said “our motto at Pop Choir is if you can speak you can sing, so we welcome anyone to come and give it a go at our weekly sessions. The power of Pop Choir is that we make everyone sound good quickly as a large group
BEYOND Blue is helping to host fundraising events this month to mark World Mental Health Month. The organisation is encouraging people to host “big blue table” events to start conversations about mental health. Event hosts can register with Beyond Blue online to raise money. Dollars raised through the campaign will go to the Beyond Blue Support Service, providing free 24/7 counselling. Beyond Blue lead clinical adviser Dr Grant Blashki said “the simple act of hosting a meal can make talking about mental health with family, friends and colleagues less uncomfortable.” “Nearly half of us will experience a mental health condition in our lifetime and no one should feel they need to suffer in silence,” said Dr Blashki. “Stigma about mental health conditions often prevents people from seeking support, and the big blue table aims to reduce stigma by encouraging people to talk openly about how they are feeling in a comfortable environment.” The campaign is backed by Greg Murphy, a Mordialloc teacher who is also a Beyond Blue speaker. Murphy, who has been diagnosed bipolar, also says the stigma of speaking up and asking for help needs to be reduced. To register for a big blue table event visit bigbluetable.com.au
Chelsea Mordialloc Mentone News
18 October 2023
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