Dispatch: Defence confirms timetable for Leeuwin Barracks disposal

(Last week I attended a community information session in Fremantle hosted by the Departments of Defence and Finance as part of their community stakeholder engagement for the disposal and eventual sale of Leeuwin Barracks.

The decade-long seesawing of whether the federal government will sell the riverside property finally concluded with the release of the Defence Estate Audit in February, determining it was one of properties to be sold.

I have followed this story since the 2022 general election, when the then-Morrison government announced facility upgrades for cadet units on defence bases, including Leeuwin Barracks, and an expansion of the cadet program should the Liberal National coalition win.

They clearly did not, however I suspect it was just another vote-buying ploy, much like the white elephant covid quarantine facility in Bullsbrook to try and save the seat of a disgraced minister and the ‘boat gate’ scandal when the Liberal Party publicised classified information of the interception of an assylum seeker vessel via a mass sms campaign to influence votes on election day. It was a welcome end to Australia’s sordid 'lost decade'.  

But I digress.

The following dispatch records what I have written in my notebook and personally observed in the session. I have also referenced fact sheets which were made available to attendees. More information can be found here.)

The Defence department has confirmed that it aims to transfer Leeuwin Barracks to the Finance department for disposal within a two year period and that it is currently undertaking due diligence work to progress the federal government’s divestment roadmap for the site.

This was said during a community information event held last week on Wednesday evening, 10 June at Victoria Hall in Fremantle Western Australia.

The event itself was split between a brief presentation reiterating much of Defence’s publicly available information and a longer informal ‘Q and A’ session where local residents and interested parties had the opportunity to query departmental representatives.

The lead Defence representative also confirmed that once the Leeuwin Barracks site has been transferred to the Finance department, the latter will be responsible for the remainder of disposal process. It was anticipated that the land will be disposed of in phases.

According to a ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ fact sheet available at the event, this will include engaging “state and local governments on planning, zoning, infrastructure and heritage considerations”.

The FAQ sheet also states that legislative and policy considerations could delay the disposal of the barracks, saying “timelines will vary by site and may be influenced by heritage, environmental and commercial considerations… (and) will manage these factors on a site by site basis”.

Also present at the event were representatives from the Finance department, uniformed Australian Defence Force personnel, the federal member for Fremantle Josh Wilson, WA assemblywoman for Bicton Lisa O’Malley and the mayor of the Town of East Fremantle Tony Natale.

Wilson had the opportunity of addressing attendees and confirmed that the WA government was responsible for dividing up land plots for sale once that that step on the roadmap was reached.

O’Malley reminded attendees that any concerns with the process should be raised with their ‘state and federal MP’.

It was further clarified that the barracks site contiguous within Wauhop Road, Riverside Road and Preston Point Road will be the land disposed of and not the the surrounding riverside properties and jetties.

This is congruent with the information regarding the cadet units resident in Leeuwin Barracks, with Navy cadet unit TS Perth spared from the disposal process and will remain at their facilities on Riverside Road, East Fremantle.

However, this means the army and air force cadet units are at risk of disbandment or amalgamation unless new home facilities can be found within the Fremantle area.

The Defence representaive said the department is looking to engage with the WA Education department to find host schools for the units, as well as seeking other alternatives like community halls and facilities

(To read my earlier reporting on the Leeuwin Barracks sale, you can visit my Wordpress article here.)

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