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Opinion: The Returned & Services League of Australia calls for careful stewardship of Defence heritage in historic estate reforms, says RSL Australia national president Peter Tinley.
RSL Australia is calling on the government to slow down and get this right, following the announcement of the largest Defence estate divestment in Australian history.
While the organisation (RSL Australia) supports modernising Defence infrastructure, the sale of 64 sites, including Victoria Barracks in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, demands more careful consideration than a single announcement allows.
We understand the strategic logic. The Defence Strategic Review made clear we need to reorient towards our northern approaches.
But these aren’t empty paddocks on a spreadsheet; they’re places where Australians learned to soldier, where bonds of mateship were forged, and where generations prepared to defend this nation.
Tap the brakes
The government needs to tap the brakes here. Take a breath. Because once these sites are gone, they’re gone forever.
I’ve walked through barracks that have trained soldiers for wars from the Boer to Afghanistan. I’ve seen the parade grounds where young Australians took their first steps towards service.
Veterans right across the country have deep connections to these places and they deserve more than a press conference announcement.
Three immediate concerns
First, where do the Reservists and cadets go? Many units rely on specific sites for training and community presence. Selling the real estate before sorting the people is putting the cart before the horse.
Second, we’ve seen this movie before. North Head in Sydney. Portsea in Victoria. Defence sites sold with grand plans that never materialised, left to decay behind locked gates. The government said heritage will be protected and we’ll be holding them to that promise.
Third, some of these sales will take a decade and cost a fortune in remediation. The $1.8 billion to $3 billion headline figure may look very different when the final accounting is done. Let’s have an honest conversation about what’s realistic.
RSL Australia is not opposed to reform but urges caution. Get it right, not just right now.
RSL stands ready to work with government to ensure veteran voices are heard and our military heritage is properly protected.
These places belong to all Australians: past, present and future.
Peter Tinley is the national president of the Returned & Services League of Australia. He has previously served 25 years in the Australian Defence Force, including 17 years with the Special Air Service Regiment.
