![A fresh flag is flown by industrial climbers atop Parliament House. Picture by Elesa Kurtz A fresh flag is flown by industrial climbers atop Parliament House. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/128375134/a0271113-989f-4ce2-a18b-226d903e9f39.jpg/r0_421_4116_2735_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Industrial climbers have successfully completed an eight-hour high-flying, nailbiting Australian flag change atop Parliament House amid significant wind gusts.
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With a special flag-changing hydraulic cage, called an Alimak, still broken atop the people's house, some brave climbers were engaged by the Department of Parliamentary Services to change the torn and tatty giant national symbol.
After 'staging' work on Friday, the climbers began work before dawn at 6am on Saturday. They had to scale the metal mast, one of the world's largest stainless steel structures, on the leg of the broken Alimak.
The climb appeared slow going for much of the morning, until after 2pm with long ropes in place, the ripped flag came down and a fresh ensign was lifted into position.
Public access to the roof was closed during the operation.
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The poor state of the flag was drawn to the nation's attention on Wednesday when shadow immigration minister Dan Tehan urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to get involved and fix it.
![Industrial climbers scale the flag pole at Parliament House . Picture by Elesa Kurtz Industrial climbers scale the flag pole at Parliament House . Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/128375134/540d6c81-dd26-4fc1-9c96-5961ede21212.jpg/r0_294_4140_2622_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Recent wild weather in the national capital had torn the prominent 12.8m by 6.4m flag, but safety concerns and a mechanical fault delayed its replacement. The flag flies at a height of 81m atop a prominent mast which straddles the building.
With Mr Albanese overseas on a diplomatic mission, Speaker Milton Dick on Thursday indicated the flag's replacement would be expedited, while steps would be taken to ensure it does not happen again.
The presiding officers regard the normal operation to change the flag as a "dangerous and complex undertaking" due to its size and the high wind conditions.
With the Alimak still not operational, the Department of Parliamentary Services engaged industrial climbers to climb up to the top cluster of the mast to change the flag.
![The fresh flag is flown at Parliament House. Picture by Elesa Kurtz The fresh flag is flown at Parliament House. Picture by Elesa Kurtz](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/128375134/cb53b3a9-ecdf-4d1c-a3fd-7ee9bc4124f9.jpg/r0_377_4041_2649_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)