Tuesday, 17 March 2026

 Chris COUZENS (Geelong) (13:02): Last week I attended the celebration of the completion of major construction works on the Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre. It is a landmark addition to our beautiful city and it looks incredible, with views to our north-facing bay. It has been impressive to see these buildings taking shape over the last couple of years. Geelong is very excited to see the precinct open later this year.

Nyaal Banyul includes a 1000-seat theatre, exhibition spaces, meeting rooms, conference facilities, flexible event spaces, food and beverage areas and the public Gheringhap Plaza. Next door the Crowne Plaza Hotel, delivered by the Plenary Group, is already open, providing the perfect location for visitors to Geelong and soon those attending events at Nyaal Banyul. The design recognises and celebrates the Wadawurrung people, traditional owners who collaborated on this project from the outset and selected its name, Nyaal Banyul, meaning ‘open your eyes to the hills’. Nyaal Banyul is the first convention centre in Australia designed from inception with traditional owners. I acknowledge the tireless work and commitment of Wadawurrung woman Corrina Eccles. Her sharing of culture is demonstrated throughout the building for all to learn from.

During the major construction works the project created more than 1400 jobs – that is 1400 people who have directly benefited from the project. It has given unbeatable on-the-job experience to 250 ‍apprentices in trades. Importantly, 40 aspiring tradespeople – (Time expired)