Wednesday, 4 March 2026

 Sheena WATT (Northern Metropolitan) (09:51): As we welcome the Year of the Fire Horse, a year of incredible energy and strength, it is a perfect time to recognise the massive contribution the Chinese community make to our state. This was on show in the CBD with Melbourne Chinatown’s Chinese Lunar New Year Festival, one of our city’s premier festivals, I must say. This festival attracts over 200,000 attendees and is a massive celebration and showcase of a community that has been a vital part of Victoria’s story for over 170 years. Melbourne’s Chinatown is the oldest in the Western world, a historical and culturally rich precinct that is a testament to the vibrant community that started during the gold rush and continues to thrive today.

In Victoria equality and inclusion are at the very core of who we are. More than half of our small businesses are owned by people with at least one parent born overseas, and precincts like Chinatown are vital cultural, community and commercial hubs for all of us. Our government is backing this through the $17 million supporting our multicultural traders and precincts initiative, and I want to just take a moment to acknowledge the incredible work of Christina Zhao and the Melbourne Chinatown Business Association for putting on such a spectacular show. These celebrations of culture create the kind of unity and prosperity that make Victoria the very best place to live.