Department of Defence Estate Divestments
Feature Image: Fort Queenscliff. Source: Defence, Australian Government.
Earlier this month Richard Marles (Minister for Defence) released Defence Estate Audit, commissioned in response to the 2023 Defence Strategic Review, to assess whether the estate footprint was fit-for-purpose. The audit, titled “Delivering the future estate”, includes recommendations for 67 Defence owned assets to be wholly or partially divested, with the revenue from these sales returned to the Department of Defence budget.
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.
I believe Cerberus Naval base at Crib Point is part of the Mornington Peninsula’s Green Wedge. For years now developers have endeavoured to erode the Green Wedge, so does this mean residential development of divested Cerberus land? The Victorian-Federal government may need funds but not at the expense of the environment.
Like our cousins in the UK where the National Trust manages a number of historical sites in the UK, it would be opportune for the NT here to do likewise. I don’t know what the financial arrangements the NT in the UK has with these properties.
However I am of the opinion that such sites in Australia should be managed by the National Trust or such a similar organisation. This applies especially to the Queenscliff Fort.
As a father and grandfather who has lived in Melbourne for almost 90 years, it is greatly upsetting to hear of a government proposal to divest some of our significant heritage sites in this State of Victoria for sale, including Fort Queenscliff which has huge heritage significance and which has been visited by thousands of children and families over my lifetime. We have lost many of our heritage buildings from the streets of Melbourne and those in power should ensure that any further attempts to destroy the heritage of our beautiful city and its environs should be strongly resisted.