Defence Minister Richard Marles says the historic Victoria Barracks in Sydney should be returned to the Australian public. The Albanese government plans to sell the heritage-listed site, which Defence no longer needs. Marles said keeping it would cost $200 million over the next decade. He said heritage protections would remain under any new owner. Defence personnel are expected to move out by the end of 2026. NSW Premier Chris Minns has asked the Commonwealth to reconsider the sale.
NSW Premier Chris Minns has called on the federal government to reverse its plan to sell Victoria Barracks in Paddington. He said the sale would be a big missed opportunity and that the community wanted the site kept for defence use. Defence Minister Richard Marles defended the move, saying the site is not fundamental to national defence and costs $200 million over the next decade to secure. Defence says most of the roughly 500 personnel on the site will move out before the end of 2026, with many shifted to Randwick Barracks.
Politicians from across the political divide joined a rally of more than 5,000 people in Moore Park on Sunday to oppose the planned divestment of Victoria Barracks. Former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott and Greens leader David Shoebridge were among the speakers. Organisers Marjorie O’Neill and Jess Collins urged Prime Minister Anthony Albanese to save the site. Shoebridge said public land should stay in public hands. A Defence spokesperson said the department is moving quickly to transition from divestment sites before the end of 2027, including Victoria Barracks Sydney.
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More than 2,000 people rallied in Sydney on Sunday to urge Anthony Albanese to stop the proposed sale of Victoria Barracks. Former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott attended the Save Victoria Barracks event at Kippax Lake. Opposition Leader Angus Taylor said the site's defence role was at stake. NSW Veterans Minister David Harris said the state would use planning and heritage avenues to slow the move. Brigadier Vince Williams, president of RSL NSW, called the proposal a total failure of leadership.
Former prime minister John Howard has criticised the federal government over its plan to sell Sydney's Victoria Barracks, saying it shows indifference to Australia's military history. Mr Howard has accepted an invitation to speak at a rally opposing the sale, to be held opposite the barracks on Sunday. The government plans to sell 67 defence sites nationally, worth about $3 billion, as part of a cost-cutting exercise. Defence Minister Richard Marles has argued the barracks should be opened to the public, while NSW Premier Chris Minns has backed the Army's claim to the site.
The Coalition has introduced a bill in the Senate to stop the Albanese Government selling Victoria Barracks Sydney. The Protecting Australia's Defence Heritage Bill 2026 would let Parliament block the sale of strategic and historically significant defence assets. It would also require the Defence Minister to justify any sale in Parliament. The Greens have criticised the proposed sale, arguing the site should be used for public housing. Independent MP Allegra Spender has launched a community survey on the site's future.
