Since the MCEC – I was going to say MCG; it just rolls off the tongue as a Victorian – was built and opened by the Victorian government in 1996 as the Melbourne Exhibition Centre, this building really has been at the forefront of culture and events here in Melbourne. We have had members across the chamber talk about some of those wonderful iconic cultural events that we hold here in Melbourne that really make us proud to be Victorian. It is something that our government has recognised and supported over the years, and during the Bracks government – another very proud westie – we invested over $370 million to revamp the centre as the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre. It was part of a major precinct redevelopment that took place in and around this part of Melbourne. In 2015 our government, the then Andrews now Allan Labor government, further supported the centre’s growth, which was really important, with a really big expansion. It was $205 million, that expansion, and it was completed in 2018.

The history and the impact of this centre is not limited to government investments alone. Over the last 10 years the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre has been the home of the Good Friday Appeal, something that I know Victorians feel very passionate about and that raises money for a very, very, very good charity indeed. It is something I know that everyone on all sides of this chamber supports.

In 2019 the centre’s contribution to Victoria’s economy exceeded $1 billion. It is not just a cultural asset, it is an economic boon for our state. Now we are hoping to build upon this success with the Nyaal Banyul convention and exhibition centre, which is being built in none other than Geelong and is expected to open in 2026. I am lucky enough to sit next to the member for Geelong, who I know cannot wait for this centre to open, and the benefit that her community will be able to get from this centre will be immeasurable – as well as other Victorians who will be making their way down to Geelong to attend different things there.

[Interjection]

I will not be saying go Cats, member for Wendouree, it will be go the Doggies. Nonetheless, given how successful the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre has been for nearly 30 years, it is no wonder that there is significant demand for another centre, which is what this new one that is going to be carved out in Geelong will cater for. As it stands, the project is supporting a total of – and I should look to the member for Geelong when I say this – 600 jobs in construction and will create a further 280 jobs after the centre opens. That is huge – absolutely massive. As it currently stands, the MCEC is governed by a board of trustees and headed up by former Premier the Honourable John Brumby.

We know that by and large this group of trustees do an absolutely fantastic job of managing the MCEC, and we want them to be able to do the same for the Nyaal Banyul. What we actually want is for these two centres to be able to work in collaboration, not in competition with each other, and that is what this bill absolutely focuses on.

To begin with, the bill will rename the current Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust to the Victorian Convention and Event Trust, which reflects their new responsibilities. This was a decision that our government made based on extensive stakeholder consultation, particularly with those in the Greater Geelong region who wish to work with the trust members to bring this project to regional Victoria. In addition to this, the bill will allow for the minister to expand, by determination, the powers and importantly the functions of the trust. This will allow them to meet the ever-changing needs of Victoria’s events industry, because as this sector grows in our state – let us not forget that Victoria is the events capital of Australia – it is actually really important that the role of the convention and events trust in meeting this type of demand is flexible and adaptive. An example of where this might require additional functions would be the training of events staff – whether to manage Nyaal Banyul or elsewhere.

Another small but equally important change is that this bill is going to expand the number of members on the trust from seven to nine. This change, I think, is a no-brainer. We are expanding not only the responsibilities of this trust body but also its functions and powers, and it simply needs more people on the board of trustees to share these responsibilities. I also think it really does create a new opportunity for some new voices to be heard, especially and most importantly from regional Victoria, which this new venue is designed to cater for. As it stands there is only one member of the trust who actually lives in Geelong and has extensive local knowledge of the area. I know, being a member of Parliament here and representing Melbourne’s inner, middle and outer west, it is really important to have extensive local knowledge. In talking about how there is only one member of the trust who lives in Geelong and has that knowledge, we are making these changes to make sure we bring more of that knowledge, like that particular member, to the table.

Further to this, the bill is going to allow for the appointment of a deputy chairperson and acting chairperson to allow for better coverage of the board’s duties in the event that the chairperson is absent or otherwise preoccupied. Like I said, these are small changes, but they are important, because they are making sure that the board and the trust will actually be working in the practical reality where, if the chairperson is absent, it is still able to run, which is really important. Whether it is in relation to health or other commitments, the acting chairperson, the deputy chair, can step in. We know that currently the chairperson role is held by former Premier Brumby. In addition to this role he also serves as chancellor of La Trobe Uni and as an honorary professor at the University of Melbourne. I will briefly say it is so wonderful to see former parliamentarians, especially former leaders in this place, who have a wealth of knowledge, go on to further their contribution to the public good. I know that many of my colleagues in this place have very fond memories of serving with him, but as we all know, members who sit on these trusts have competing duties. This is a small change, but what it will do is ensure that if those duties are competing at any given time, another member is able to seamlessly take the seat and fill in for them if needed.

In the last 45 seconds I have got, I will say that it will be absolutely amazing when this new centre in Geelong opens. I think I said earlier in my contribution it will be in 2026, a very important year. It will be a wonderful year to open a very important centre that really is about our further investment into not just Victoria and Melbourne but really regional Victoria. It is something that I know the member for Geelong has worked very hard on, and she is very excited to be with her colleagues down in that region to cut the ribbon in 2026 and celebrate another incredible investment by the Allan Labor government. I commend the bill to the house.