Wednesday, 15 May 2024

 Paul MERCURIO (Hastings) (17:27): (668) My adjournment matter is for the Minister for Planning, and the action I seek is for the minister to come down to my electorate to visit the amazing space that is Willum Warrain. I have spoken about Willum Warrain several times since I came to this place in members statements and adjournments. It really is a very special and spiritual place to me and to the many locals that attend the various activities held every week throughout the year. Willum Warrain in local Boon Wurrung language means ‘home by the sea’. It is a gathering place where Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people come together to explore their goals, ideas and identity. It was established in 2014 in Hastings with support from Mornington Peninsula shire and funding from the Closing the Gap program.

Over the last four years Willum Warrain has established the only Aboriginal community owned and run bush nursery, specialising in local indigenous plants from the Mornington Peninsula. They are the only Aboriginal-run retail and wholesale nursery south of Melbourne open to the public. They also work with local communities, businesses and schools in helping to build gardens using indigenous plants, and in doing so share the cultural knowledge of each plant and also each plant’s unique dream. The work that they do around healing country is really amazing, and I look forward to showing the minister this work and talking about other ways of how Willum Warrain can extend the healing of country in my electorate.