Marles defends Victoria Barracks reversal amid public backlash

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 11 Nov, 00:38 · Archive

Australia's Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has defended the government's decision to keep Sydney's Victoria Barracks in public hands after reversing an earlier plan to sell it.

The Australian government has reversed its decision to sell Victoria Barracks, the 180-year-old Sydney garrison, to private developers. The barracks will now be transferred to the Department of Finance and remain in public hands.

The original plan had targeted unneeded defence assets for sale as a cost-saving measure. Critics argued the site, estimated to cost taxpayers $200m over the next decade, held deep cultural significance as the "spiritual home" of the Australian Army. Former prime minister Tony Abbott and NSW Premier Chris Minns were among those calling on the government to reconsider the sale.

Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, who also serves as defence minister, said on Wednesday that spending hundreds of millions of dollars on unused defence sites was "just not tenable". He defended the focus on managing the defence estate efficiently, noting that a Defence Estate Audit had found decades of mismanagement. Marles declined to say whether Prime Minister Anthony Albanese had made the reversal decision unilaterally, saying instead that "we work through with the Prime Minister and others what the future of the site would be".

How it is being reported

• ‘Untenable’: Richard Marles stands by Victoria Barracks sale amid grilling on backflipAnthony Albanese’s number two has dodged a key question about his Victoria Barracks back down, which came amid widespread public fury.Perth Now · 11 Nov, 00:21
• ‘Untenable’: Richard Marles stands by Victoria Barracks sale amid grilling on backflipAnthony Albanese’s number two has dodged a key question about his Victoria Barracks back down, which came amid widespread public fury.The West Australian · 11 Nov, 00:20

In this story: Richard Marles · Anthony Albanese · Tony Abbott · Chris Minns · Victoria Barracks · Sydney · Australian Army · Department of Finance

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