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Media Releases
February 4, 2026
Labor’s chronic underfunding of Defence has driven it to sell off more than 60 Defence sites, many of which play a vital role in Australia’s defence capability, workforce and readiness.
Labor’s own figures admit these sales will impact thousands of ADF personnel, cadets and reservists.
Australians should be under no illusions; Labor’s fire sale of historic Defence facilities is not a serious solution to Australia’s housing challenges. It is a short-term budget trick that risks long-term damage to national security.
Any sale must be scrutinised on a strict case-by-case basis to ensure it strengthens defence capability, delivers genuine housing outcomes and protects taxpayers.
Shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor said the Liberal Party is open to sensible reform of the Defence estate, but warned that decisions on divestments must be driven by national security needs.
“Australia is facing the most dangerous strategic environment in generations. That means one principle has to come first: Defence capability cannot be traded away”.
“We must not sell off assets that directly support the recruitment, training and retention of ADF personnel just to cover up Labor’s failures on housing.”
“A modern Defence estate is essential, but any sell-off must pass a hard national security test. Labor’s fire sale risks leaving our warfighters ill-equipped and unsupported, and that is simply unacceptable”, Mr Taylor said.
The Liberal Party acknowledges the Government’s claim that proceeds will be retained within the Defence portfolio and reinvested into priority capability. It will hold the Government to that commitment and scrutinise decisions on a site-by-site basis to ensure divestments do not compromise readiness, training, sustainment, logistics, mobilisation capacity, or critical defence infrastructure.
Senator James Paterson said taxpayers should only support divestments that improve the Commonwealth’s bottom line after all remediation and transition costs. “If land is sold, the money must stay in Defence and be transparently reinvested into capability,” Senator Paterson said. “This must be an accountable, value-for-money process, not a vehicle for waste or budget tricks.”
Senator Andrew Bragg said the housing outcome must be real and time-bound. “Australians don’t need land announcements, they need homes delivered on real timelines,” Senator Bragg said. “There must be no land banking. Disposals should proceed only where there is a clear, approved plan to build housing, with firm development deadlines and the land returning to Commonwealth hands if delivery does not occur.”
The Liberal Party will also expect binding safeguards to protect heritage where significance exists, a resilience backstop so undeveloped land can be re-used by the Commonwealth in a crisis, and firm commitments from state governments to deliver the trunk infrastructure needed to turn sites into liveable communities.
The Liberal Party supports reforms that modernise the Defence estate and help lift housing supply. But the Government must prove that these divestments strengthen capability, deliver homes, and protect taxpayers.
ENDS