Sarah Witty (Melbourne, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

It is an immense honour to stand here in this parliament, in this building, representing the people of Melbourne. Every time I come to Canberra, I feel it. I walk toward Parliament House, and, as the flagpole comes into view, something catches in my chest. The goosebumps come. The weight of history presses in. I feel the grandeur of the building before I even step inside it—the scale, the symbolism, the privilege of what it represents. All of us in this chamber remember our first day here—some of us more recently than others—but that feeling of responsibility, the sense of awe and of being entrusted with something far greater than ourselves never truly fades. I can only imagine or begin to imagine what that moment must have been like nearly 125 years ago, when the first Australian parliament assembled in the Royal Exhibition Building in the electorate of Melbourne, stepping into a new nation carrying hope, uncertainty and the enormous task of shaping a future not yet written. Beneath that historic dome, Australia stopped being an idea and became a reality.

In 2004, the Royal Exhibition Building and surrounds became Australia's first cultural site listed on UNESCO's World Heritage List. It is recognised as a rare and intact survivor of the 19th century international expo movement—a place built to project confidence, ambition and a belief in the future. World Heritage listing is not a prize to admire; it's an obligation to honour. This year marks the 125th anniversary of Federation, and, in May, the Royal Exhibition Building will again stand at the centre of our nation's story. There are few places in Australia where the history of our Commonwealth can be experienced so directly, where people can stand in the exact space where our democratic life began. In recent years, however, deterioration has become impossible to ignore—damage to the dome interior, falling plaster and decorative schemes, structural elements requiring urgent repairs, and impact from water ingress, storms and extreme weather. These are not abstract concerns. They affect safety. They affect access. They affect whether this building can continue to serve the public at all.

I recently met with Museums Victoria to discuss the work already underway and the support still required to secure the building's future. That conversation was honest, detailed and forward looking. There are strong and exciting plans to open the Royal Exhibition Building all year round from mid-2027, expanding public access while protecting its heritage values. That vision is grounded in simple truth—a heritage building survives when it is open, understood and actively used by the community it belongs to.

Important conservation works are already beginning to be delivered—repairs to the dome and facades, safety upgrades and new World Heritage management plans that guide every decision about conservation, use and renewal. The plans bring discipline, clarity and accountability to how the site is cared for, but the task ahead remains significant. The Royal Exhibition Building requires sustained long-term investment to protect its fabric, address climate risk and ensure it can continue functioning as both a heritage site and a civic venue. Delay does not reduce cost; it compounds risk, it narrows options, and it brings us closer to partial or full closure to the public. Enclosure would not protect this place; it would diminish it.

I have heard clearly from local residents, heritage experts and community advocates who care deeply about this site. They are not calling for symbolism or short-term fixes; they are calling for serious stewardship and resolve. As we mark 125 years since Federation, this is a moment to recommit to the places that anchored our national story. The Royal Exhibition Building is not just part of Melbourne's history; it is a central part of the history of our great country. Australia took its first step as a nation under that dome 125 years ago. If that moment matters to us and if our Commonwealth matters to us, then the place where it began must matter too. I will continue to be a strong and constructive advocate for the Royal Exhibition Building, for its protection, for its funding and for its future as a living public place, not just as a monument to our past, but as a working reminder of who we are and what we are prepared to stand for. Thank you.

House adjourned at 20:00

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