Accessibility Action Plan
Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust FY25 - 27
Statement of Intent
My name is Natalie O’Brien. I am the Chief Executive of the Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Trust (MCET). MCET operates Nyaal Banyul Geelong Convention and Event Centre and Melbourne Convention and Exhibition Centre (MCEC). I am pleased to share our first Accessibility Action Plan.
Our Accessibility Action Plan has four main goals that match our business strategy and the aims of the Victorian Disability Act 2006.
This plan will make both Nyaal Banyul and MCEC more welcoming to people with disabilities. It aims to tackle current obstacles. This will enable improved access and full participation. This is for customers, visitors, and employees.
In this plan, we’re looking at the challenges faced by people with all types of disabilities. These can be physical, cognitive, intellectual, or hidden. We want to make things easier for them. We’ll do this by improving our processes, systems, and surroundings. We’ll also tackle discriminatory attitudes and practices. We’re putting people with disabilities in all their diversity at the heart of our planning. We’re involving them so we can make better decisions.
As we put this plan into action, we see that we need to change the physical environment, attitudes, communication, and social settings. This is so that people with disabilities can fully participate in society like everyone else.
We’ll check the progress of our actions every quarter. An action in our first year is to establish an Accessibility Advisory Group and report to it regularly. MCET’s Annual Report and Impact Report will also include these updates.
Evidence
About 15-20 percent of people in Australia and around the world have a disability. That’s a lot of people. They face barriers that make it hard for them to join in at work and in daily life, such as going to events.
We’re the team behind MCEC. It is known globally. We believe it’s our duty to set the standard for accessibility and inclusion. This affects more than just our local community in Victoria. It also affects visitors from abroad and our peers in the industry worldwide. Our venue in Melbourne already has many features for people with disabilities. But we know there’s room for improvement. Also, we’re excited about the chance to get things right from the start at our new venue, Nyaal Banyul in Geelong. As we plan, we’re making sure that Universal Design is a top priority in building the new venue. It is set to open in 2026.
We made this plan with the help of expert review. We also talked to people with lived experience with disability. They were both employees and a consultant. In early 2024, we asked Philip Chun Building Compliance to review the oldest part of our building. We asked them to find ways to make it more accessible. Their advice has guided the development of our Accessibility Action Plan.
The plan aligns with MCET’s main goals and key parts of the Disability Discrimination Act. The plan also aligns with the 2030 United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
In 2023, we introduced the Positive Impact Guide, a new tool for event organisers using our venue. It offers advice on how to make events better. This includes information on MCEC’s accessibility features and services for people who attend events. Some actions in this plan need funding or need changes to our building. We can only make these changes if they’re approved and funded.
