Australian government keeps four heritage defence sites in public ownership after backlash
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Facing sharp public and political criticism, the Albanese government has reversed course on plans to sell four heritage-listed defence properties, including Victoria Barracks in Sydney and Melbourne, and will keep them in public ownership.
The Albanese government announced on Sunday that four heritage-listed defence sites – Victoria Barracks in Sydney and Melbourne, Fort Queenscliff and RAAF Base Point Cook – will stay in public hands and be repurposed for community use after defence personnel vacate them. The decision comes after sustained criticism from veterans, heritage groups and former prime ministers, who made clear that the sites should not be allowed to slip away from public control.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said Victoria Barracks Sydney holds a “special place in our nation’s history”. Defence Minister Richard Marles added that the military must focus spending on “keeping people safe” and that converting the sites for public use will protect their history, instead of letting valuable defence heritage be sold off or diluted.
The government plans to work with the Australian War Memorial to develop the sites as public spaces that illustrate Australia’s military heritage. The properties were identified in a 2023 audit as under-utilised and costly, with the broader sale program originally intended to raise up to $2.4 billion and save about $3 billion in maintenance over ten years, a practical response to the burden of keeping old assets that no longer serve frontline needs.
Opposition figures welcomed the move. Shadow defence minister James Paterson said the decision is a “win for Australia’s defence heritage” and pledged continued efforts to protect other sites. NSW opposition leader Kellie Sloane called the barracks an “irreplaceable part of our military heritage”. RSL president Peter Tinley described the outcome as a “partial victory”, noting the importance of retaining the site for training and morale.
The audit warned that legacy estates without clear links to current or future capabilities drain resources from higher-priority defence needs, calling for urgent intervention. Defence expects personnel to have vacated six sites by the end of the year.