ADJOURNMENT
Senator COLLINS (New South Wales—Deputy Opposition Whip in the Senate) (19:35): Labor's decision to sell off 67 Defence sites across Australia is a disgraceful betrayal of our veterans, our serving personnel and our military heritage. At a time when our strategic circumstances are becoming more challenging and Defence capability matters more than ever, Labor is pursuing a sell-off of military land on a scale never seen before.
Communities, veterans and serving personnel rightly expect sites with strategic, operational, historical and heritage value to not be sold to developers. Instead, Labor is treating these sites like a real estate clearance. Tonight I want to focus on three of those sites: Victoria Barracks in Sydney, Lancer Barracks in Parramatta and HMAS Penguin at Middle Head.
As chair of the Senate inquiry into this devastating sell-off, I have visited these sites. I've walked their grounds. I've heard from serving personnel, veterans and local communities and seen firsthand their historical and strategic value.
I felt the spirit in these sites. These are not simply blocks of land on a balance sheet; they are places where generations of Australians have served their country and where the ashes and memories of the fallen are held. Victoria Barracks is the birthplace of the Australian Army.
It has been occupied since 1848 and remains one of the nation's most important military precincts. It supports around 750 Defence personnel and volunteers, retains an operational role and can serve as a counterterrorism site during high-risk events in the Sydney CBD. Lancer Barracks, commissioned by Governor Lachlan Macquarie and built in 1820, is the oldest continuously occupied military barracks in mainland Australia.
It remains home to the Royal New South Wales Lancers and the 203 Army Cadet Unit. Its museum holds heritage listed items, including historic vehicles dating back to World War II. HMAS Penguin has served as a critical naval establishment since 1942.
It is home to the ADF Diving School, where naval clearance divers are trained. It's a critical capability that Defence must maintain. The Angophora forest which surrounds the site provides an important security buffer between Defence capabilities and the public.
Once these sites are transferred to the Department of Finance, they'll be little more than a line on a balance sheet—and what a slap in the face to the veterans and serving personnel. Through the inquiry, we held four public hearings and several community forums attended by hundreds of people, many of whom provided deeply moving evidence. For veterans, these are not just buildings to be sold to the highest bidder; they are places where friendships and families were formed, careers were built and service to the nation was lived every day.
It is where the Anzac spirit is lived. That's why so many people were outraged when assistant defence minister Peter Khalil told a community consultation session in Mosman, 'The decision to divest has already been made.' What sort of farcical consultation is that? Shame on the government for ignoring local communities and taking them for a ride.
But hope is not all lost, as my good friend the honourable member for Lane Cove, Anthony Roberts MP, has introduced the Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Defence Lands Parliamentary Approval) Bill 2026 in the New South Wales parliament. The bill will require approval from both houses of parliament before rezoning, subdivision or development could proceed on Defence land, whether or not it is owned by the Commonwealth.
In this way, those making the decisions would be answerable to the electors, something that this Labor government never did. They knew about this before the election and they didn't take it to the people. They were too gutless to do that.
So this is a good thing that Anthony Roberts MP, member for Lane Cove, has done, because, once these sites are gone, they are gone forever. I encourage everybody to come on down on Saturday 29 August and visit Lancer Barracks as part of Parramatta Open. You'll be able to come down and show your support for that site.
It's an open day for everybody. We'd love to see you down there. Help us save this important historical strategic site not just for you guys but for your children and for all the cadets that are out there.
Our children should be able to not only enjoy those sites but also value the sacrifices our diggers have made. (Time expired)