Australia Cancels Sale of Four Historic Military Sites

The Australian Government cancelled plans to sell four heritage-listed military sites—Victoria Barracks in Sydney, Victoria Barracks in Melbourne, Fort Queenscliff, and RAAF Williams Point Cook—after months of protests from veterans, politicians, and the Save Victoria Barracks Sydney campaign group. The properties were originally part of a broader strategy to sell 67 underutilized military properties to recoup up to $3 billion for the federal budget and fund housing developments.

While the sites will remain in public ownership, they will no longer serve as active Defence facilities. Personnel will vacate the properties as planned, and the sites will be transferred to the Finance Department to be opened for community, heritage, and commercial use. The Australian War Memorial will assist in interpreting the military history of these locations.

Defence Minister Richard Marles defended the original proposal, stating it was untenable to spend hundreds of millions maintaining sites that are not central to the defence of Australia. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor welcomed the reversal but characterized the initial plan as a "smash and grab for revenue." Shadow Defence Minister James Paterson also criticized the government, pledging to protect other critical sites including HMAS Penguin and Lancer Barracks.