Zoe McKenzie (Flinders, Liberal Party, Shadow Cabinet Secretary) | Hansard source

What kind of government says Australia faces the most challenging strategic environment since World War II, signs up to AUKUS, promises a larger and more capable Navy and then starts selling off parts of Navy bases? That's exactly what is happening at HMAS Cerberus, in my electorate. The Albanese government has identified 67 defence sites across Australia for disposal, and the list includes historic sites like the Victoria Barracks in Melbourne and the Victoria Barracks in Sydney—and, now, a huge part of HMAS Cerberus, the cradle of the Royal Australian Navy, is also on the chopping block. It's a world-leading training base which welcomes over 6,000 people each year, preparing future leaders for the AUKUS fleet.

Over the past few weeks I have heard from hundreds of local residents. Two weeks ago, hundreds of them gathered together at a community information session run by Defence, and the message was loud and clear: the community does not agree that this land is surplus. Much of the land being sold is environmentally significant and virtually untouched. One former sailor who joined the Navy at just 17 years of age wrote to me, 'I do not want to see this land sold off.' His sentiment and the determination that sits behind it has been repeated time and time again. People understand that once defence land is sold, it is virtually impossible to get it back. Many in my electorate, with significant service to the nation in their past, are asking a very reasonable question: if Australia expects HMAS Cerberus to play a bigger role in training sailors under AUKUS, why on earth are we reducing the land available to support its future growth?

Others have raised concerns about the environmental significance of the site and the possibility of future development, as it's part of the Ramsar designated region of Western Port. One resident wrote to me:

Please protect the beautiful wildlife and pristine coastline around Somers and Crib Point from development.

The remarkable local underwater documentary maker Sheree Marris is currently producing an extraordinary work on the wondrous waters of Western Port. Just a few weeks ago, she discovered a unique glow-in-the-dark shark. If ever you needed proof of the uniqueness of this region, Sheree's discovery of the biofluorescence of the swell shark in the waters off Cerberus is it.

I have written to both the Minister for Defence and the Minister for Finance a number of times, outlining the concerns raised by locals and questioning whether this land has genuinely been assessed as surplus to future defence requirements. The people of Western Port have a deep connection to HMAS Cerberus. Generations of servicemen and women have trained there. It forms part of our local identity and part of Australia's naval story, and that is why I will keep fighting with my community to call off this hasty and ill-planned sell off.

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