Labor wants republic within decade

Australia should become a republic with its own head of state within a decade, federal Labor leader Bill Shorten says.

Mr Shorten made the commitment in the opening speech to Labor's national conference in Melbourne on Friday.

"Let us make this the first decade where our head of state, is one of us - we can be an Australian republic, with an Australian head of state," he said.

The Australian Republican Movement seized on the comment as the first time in a generation that the ALP has committed to a timeframe for a republic.

The draft Labor platform, which will be voted on during the conference, commits to a three-stage process starting with a constitutional convention, followed by a plebiscite on a model and then a referendum.

Labor would also appoint a frontbencher with responsibility for advancing an Australian head of state.

"Aiming for an Australian head of state in the next decade is a great start," said ARM national director Tim Mayfield.

However he said the party should also pledge to hold the plebiscite by 2020.