For many, the Mornington Peninsula is postcard-picture perfect: the clifftop mansions, the long stretches of sandy shoreline, the wineries and day spas.<\/p>\n
But the image couldn\u2019t be further from reality for Jeremy Maxwell.<\/p>\n
\u201cEveryone thinks it\u2019s a lovely place for a holiday,\u201d he says. \u201cBut for many people here, it\u2019s not a holiday \u2013 it\u2019s survival.\u201d<\/p>\n
Maxwell runs Southern Peninsula Community Support, servicing a region that has the largest number of homeless people in greater Melbourne<\/a>.<\/p>\n About 140 people experiencing homelessness are known to services in the region, but Maxwell says the real number is closer to 300.<\/p>\n Many sleep rough along the foreshore each night. In the past 18 months, five people have died there.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re bookended by Sorrento and Portsea on one side, and Mount Martha and Mount Eliza on the other, with Flinders at the back,\u201d Maxwell says. \u201cIt\u2019s this little circle of really rich people \u2013 and in the middle we\u2019ve got a whole lot of battlers.\u201d<\/p>\n Voters at the pre-polling centre for the 2026 Point Nepean byelection in Rosebud. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins\/The Guardian<\/p>\n The state electorate of Nepean has long been seen as an affluent, safe Liberal seat \u2013 although Labor had a surprise win in 2018. But the divide Maxwell describes could make the 2 May byelection more competitive than it appears on paper.<\/p>\n Triggered by the sudden resignation of Sam Groth<\/a>, the contest is a three-way race between Liberal candidate Anthony Marsh, community independent Tracee Hutchison and One Nation\u2019s Darren Hercus.<\/p>\n With the Labor government not fielding a candidate, the poll is seen as a test of the Liberals\u2019 popularity seven months out from the state election \u2013 and whether One Nation<\/a> poses a serious threat.<\/p>\n \u2018Highlights why the two-party system doesn\u2019t work\u2019<\/p>\n According to 2021 census data, residents in the electorate \u2013 covering the southern half of the peninsula \u2013 are older, less diverse and economically worse off than the Victorian average, likely due to the high proportion of retirees.<\/p>\n CEO of the Southern Peninsula Community Support, Jeremy Maxwell, in the organisation\u2019s food bank. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins\/The Guardian<\/p>\n But Maxwell says the demographics are shifting, driven by an influx of sea-changers during the pandemic. Those moving in, he says, \u201cdidn\u2019t go and buy Portsea mansions \u2013 they bought cheaper homes in places like Rosebud\u201d. This is pushing up house prices and rents.<\/p>\n Most candidates have visited Southern Peninsula Community Support and committed to advocate for state government funding \u2013 something the organisation currently does not receive.<\/p>\n However, the campaigns have mostly focused on issues like road conditions, community safety, the cost of living and the fuel crisis, which is pronounced in the electorate due to its high dependence on cars.<\/p>\n The Liberals are pledging $340m to \u2018completely rebuild\u2019 the Rosebud hospital, while One Nation is advocating for a public-private partnership to fund works and save taxpayers money. Photograph: Christopher Hopkins\/The Guardian<\/p>\n The three main candidates also want to improve the Rosebud hospital, and agree that the 60-year-old facility is no longer fit for purpose and is struggling to meet demand from an ageing and growing population.<\/p>\n Hutchison says the lack of investment in the hospital showed the Liberals were \u201cineffectual\u201d in advocating for the community. She claimed Labor was \u201ccompletely ignoring\u201d it and choosing instead to spend billions on hospitals in its own seats.<\/p>\n