Former Labor environment minister Peter Garrett has publicly criticized the Albanese government’s plan to sell off more than 60 Defence properties across Australia, describing the move as "poor politics" and indicative of "laziness." Speaking at a rally of over 1,000 people at Sydney’s Balmoral Beach on Sunday, Garrett specifically opposed the partial sale of HMAS Penguin, a navy base located at Middle Head, near Sydney.
Garrett, who previously served in the Rudd and Gillard administrations, joined a growing list of critics including former prime minister Paul Keating and several New South Wales Labor parliamentarians who have expressed concern about the government’s proposal. The plan aims to raise approximately A$1.8 billion, with proceeds intended to be reinvested into defence procurement.
Garrett called for bipartisan opposition to the sell-off and urged the government to reconsider the strategy, arguing it was a short-term approach to easing budgetary pressures. “They should be accepting that a plan to flog off public land to buy every single item of procurement that it ever has undertaken,” he said, emphasizing that the scheme was shortsighted and, in some cases, the wrong method for raising funds for defence purposes.
The criticism was directed specifically at Defence Minister Richard Marles, with Garrett stating his plan to sell parts of HMAS Penguin was “beyond comprehension.” In comments to media, Garrett called for a thorough review of the entire decision to sell Defence properties nationwide.
The Sunday protest featured speeches from several prominent figures, including the newly appointed Greens leader David Shoebridge, independent Warringah MP Zali Steggall, and NSW Liberal Senator Joss Collins, who is currently conducting a Senate inquiry into the sell-off.
Senator Collins stressed that opposition to the sale was not opposed to development or addressing Australia’s housing shortage but rather focused on preserving “the heart and soul of the defence force” and protecting strategically important bases from being sold. She noted that while housing demands were real, these Defence sites were vital to national security.
Shoebridge, a vocal critic of the AUKUS nuclear submarine program, described the sale proceeds as insufficient, claiming they would only fund the "tail rudder of an AUKUS submarine." Steggall accused the government of arrogance and condescension, suggesting officials presumed Defence assets were theirs to dispose of at will.
The government and Defence officials maintain that the $1.8 billion raised through the sales will be fully reinvested into defence capabilities. They argue that several properties slated for sale, including some major bases, have been underutilized for years, highlighting utilisation rates of 68 percent at Victoria Barracks in Sydney and just over 50 percent at Melbourne’s and Brisbane’s barracks.
A Senate inquiry into the Defence sell-off is ongoing, with additional public hearings scheduled for this month and a final report expected in February.