Veterans call to hold fire on Defence property sell-off
Veterans want the Albanian government to “put the brakes on” the sale of Defense properties designed to raise money for the military and save costs.
Labor, which has been mulling over a review for almost two years, announced on Wednesday that 67 sites would be sold in whole or in part in a move described as the “largest Defense property disposal in Australian history”.
The sale is expected to bring $1.8 billion into the Defense budget and save taxpayers another $100 million a year in maintenance costs.
RSL Australian National president Peter Tinley said the organization was ready to work with the government, which needed “breathing room”.
“These are not empty pastures on a spreadsheet, they are places where Australians learned to soldier, bonds of friendship were forged and generations were prepared to defend this nation,” he said.
“The government needs to put the brakes on here. Take a breath. Because once these sites are gone, they’re gone forever.”
“Veterans across the country have deep connections to these places, and they deserve more than a press conference announcement.”
Defense properties across the country reach approximately 3.8 million hectares.
Sites listed include historic military barracks, training depots and a repatriation center for injured soldiers returning from war.
Mr. Tinley expressed concern about where students and reservists would train and maintain a community presence when prime sites in major cities become available for sale.
“These places belong to all Australians past, present and future,” he said.
Defense Minister Richard Marles acknowledged that some senior military officials opposed the plan, and that senior officers in the army were particularly concerned about it.
An inspection of defense property revealed defense force personnel had to be moved from a number of historic properties to newer military buildings.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said the move was a win-win situation that would unlock land for housing development while saving taxpayers huge amounts of money.
The list of properties to be sold includes Sydney’s Victoria Barracks, a complex founded in 1840, and the heritage-listed site in Melbourne of the same name that played a key role in both world wars.
All areas allocated for sale will be transferred to the Finance Department, which will be responsible for finding buyers in the coming years.
Government officials believe it will likely take years for some properties to be sold.
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