I’m Tracee – born in Rosebud Hospital, went to kinder and primary school here and now live permanently in the home I was fortunate to buy here many years ago, when housing was still affordable.
For over thirty years I worked as a career broadcaster, journalist, film-maker and television producer at the highest level in international radio and television – from TripleJ, to ABC TV 7.30 Report, ABC NewsRadio, Radio Australia, Channel 7, Channel 9, 3RRR, to my local community radio station 3RPP on the Mornington Peninsula. I wrote columns for The Saturday for many years and I’ve been a passionate champion of environment and social justice issues for my entire adult life.
For the past two decades I’ve been involved in a range of local community-led organisations, campaigns, and events on the Peninsula – from campaigns to protect and preserve our natural environment including the channel deepening campaign in the mid-2000’s, to the proposed AGL gas floating hub in our RAMSAR-protected Westernport and more recently supporting the Save Our Seat campaign to protect our public State Park at Arthur’s Seat from inappropriate development, and leading community advocacy campaigns on the importance of funding for our creative arts community and climate action initiatives.
I’ve become a go-to MC and trusted facilitator hosting community forums on our most serious issues like homelessness and the rental crisis, and Meet the Candidate forums at local, state and federal level, to interviewing best-selling authors at Montalto, and supporting our incredible local festivals and events like Flinders Fringe, Sorrento Writers and Music on the Hill, to name a few.
In recent years I’ve worked in media and communications roles at the Mornington Community Support Centre and Southern Peninsula Community Support in Rosebud, where I make all the videos about the impactful work being done to help people who need it most in what is the rough sleeping capital of the state, and supporting media opportunities to tell these important stories.
I’ve also been involved at local community radio station RPP as a broadcaster for over a decade, initiating the now long-running Peninsula Talks program and as host of the weekly Good Things radio show, I’m Chair of the Mornington Peninsula Shire’s Arts & Advisory Panel and on the Executive of the recently formed Peninsula Climate Alliance.
I grew up in Rosebud / McCrae and this place has stayed firmly in my DNA, I always knew I’d come back to the place of my earliest memories. From Blue Heaven milkshakes at Cincotta’s milkbar, to skiffle-boarding in the shallows at Rosebud beach, learning to swim at the old Rosebud Pool with mum as my swim teacher and helping her with her postie through the McCrae hills during school holidays, to mushrooming under cow-pats in the paddocks near the old abattoir in Dromana, stomping in gumboots at the Red Hill show and sliding into the old metal seats on the old chairlift at on Arthur’s Seat. My first baby photo is in mum’s arms at Anthony’s Nose, and the McCrae Lighthouse was a magic place of my childhood when it was still the main navigation light through the shipping channel. I’m now part of the early morning swimmers at McCrae.
My career has afforded me incredible opportunities and significant good fortune, but I also know what it feels like to be professionally sidelined when your industry turns to younger alternatives. I do know how tough it is to be underemployed or unemployed, particularly as a senior woman, and how scary it can be when bills come in that you can’t pay.
At every opportunity I have strived to give back through my work and in my community – holding leadership roles across media, education, not-for-profit and the creative industries. I’ve also served in voluntary Board roles at Music Victoria and 3RRR, and for the past five years have been voluntary Chair of Green Music Australia – the peak national environmental music body for the Australian music industry.
Without hesitation, the opportunity to serve my community as the Member for Nepean in the Victorian State Parliament – representing the place I was born and fighting for our fair share - would be the greatest honour of my life. I hope you’ll afford me the privilege to serve you as the Member for Nepean.