Sixteen of the properties listed for divestment are located in Victoria, and many of the identified Defence sites are known to have heritage significance, including places on the Commonwealth Heritage List such as; Victoria Barracks, the Repatriation Clinic on St Kilda Road, the Maribyrnong Defence Site, RAAF Base Point Cook, and Fort Queenscliff.

Although the National Trust was mentioned in the Victoria estate audit factsheet as a potential partner to assist and support heritage protection strategies for the sites, we were not contacted by the Department of Defence prior to the release of the report.

Currently there is no direct threat to these heritage buildings, as we would expect that the divestment process to include the consideration of these sites for state or local heritage protection as has been done with previous Defence sites. In Victoria, the divestment of Commonwealth Government owned heritage properties often results in an assessment by Heritage Victoria to consider whether inclusion in the Victorian Heritage Register may be necessary.  

We believe the Government’s divestment program provides a unique opportunity to recognise the service of Defence personnel and help Victorians to better understand places linked to service, training, innovation and community life. These sites form part of our shared history and can continue to serve the public when managed with care and respect.

The Department of Finance has established a public process for registering interest in Defence Estate divestments, which can be accessed here.