Sharon Claydon (Newcastle, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to celebrate a significant moment for my community in Newcastle—the reopening of the Regal Cinema in Birmingham Gardens. The Regal is more than bricks and mortar. For decades, it's been a place where stories have been shared, friendships formed and community life strengthened. That's why the closure of this cultural heart of our city was so deeply felt by local residents. For many years since, I've been proud to stand alongside hundreds of cinema-loving Novocastrians campaigning to see the Regal restored, refusing to let this much loved venue be lost to history. That's why its reopening is such an important achievement and one worthy of recognition in this place.

I want to acknowledge Jo Smith and George Merryman and the remarkable friends of the Regal whose commitment, vision and hard work have brought the Regal back to life. Restoring a local cinema is no small undertaking. It requires belief in community, confidence in local culture and a willingness to invest in something that delivers far more than a financial return. Jo and George and their extraordinary team of volunteers have done exactly that, and the people of Birmingham Gardens and, indeed, Newcastle, more broadly, are better for it.

What makes this moment particularly significant is that it forms part of a broader resurgence of independent cinema in our region. Only recently, the opening of the Tower Cinemas in King Street, Newcastle, was celebrated—another locally driven independent venture that demonstrates the enduring value of shared cultural experiences. Together, these cinemas show that even in the age of streaming platforms and digital isolation, people continue to seek out places to come together and share in their stories and culture.

Independent cinema plays a vital role in our communities. They support local jobs, provide spaces for Australian and independent films and strengthen the social fabric of our suburbs. They are places of connection where people gather not just to watch a film but to participate in community life. The reopening of the Regal Cinema is a powerful reminder that when local people invest in local places, communities thrive. I congratulate Jo Smith and George Merryman and those extraordinary friends of the Regal who have long fought to reinvigorate a 1930s cinema to make sure that it is still a purposeful building today. I commend everybody involved in that revival of the Regal Cinema. I say thank you. The reopening of the Regal and the Tower Cinemas is a terrific success story. It's rekindled our community's love for cinema and indeed our passion for the preservation, conservation and continued use of these very important historic venues.