Julia Gillard (Lalor, Australian Labor Party, Shadow Minister for Health and Manager of Opposition Business in the House) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I rise to speak on an issue of great concern to my electorate, and that is the future of the Point Cook RAAF base, RAAF Base Williams. The future of this air base has been unresolved for more than a decade. My predecessor Barry Jones served on a variety of committees about its future which recommended that RAAF Laverton, which is also in my electorate, be closed and its functions consolidated at Point Cook. Point Cook is no normal site. It is a site of incredible historic significance. It is the birthplace of the Australian Air Force. It is where the first manned flight in Australia took place in 1903. It is the place that is most associated with flying in this country, and it is the oldest airstrip in the world which is still operating as an airstrip.

The Howard government, on coming to office, determined to earmark the site for sale, and it was very clear when I was elected as the member for Lalor that the Howard government’s plans were to preserve the smallest possible heritage precinct and then sell the rest of the site to whoever wished to buy it for whatever purpose they wished to use it for. The community reaction to this was swift and huge, with over 10,000 people signing a petition to have the site stay in Commonwealth ownership. I was delighted when this campaigning was rewarded by a backflip by the Howard government when the then parliamentary secretary, Fran Bailey, announced in 2004 that the site would remain in Commonwealth hands and that a trust would be established to manage its day-to-day functions.

Unfortunately, whilst the announcement was good, the delivery has not been. The trust is now being disbanded and there is great uncertainty about what is going to happen next. Rumours are now sweeping my electorate that indeed RAAF Laverton is going to be closed down and its functions consolidated at Point Cook—a plan over a decade old—and there are rumours that non-RAAF users of the site will not be able to continue to use the site. I therefore ask the responsible minister to make a public statement about the following matters. A RAAF heritage advisory group has been formed. I would like to know how many times it has met and when it will report to the Chief of Air Force. I would like to know what the plans are for the Laverton air base. I would like to know the outcome of the defence accommodation requirements review which was recently undertaken in Melbourne. I would like to know what consideration there is for infrastructure in the surrounding areas, given the apparent planned changes for the site. I would like to know what the future is for non-RAAF users of the site. I would like to be assured that the RAAF will consult and engage stakeholders and interest groups to ensure an optimum outcome for Point Cook, which is a significant historical landmark in this country and which all Australians should be proud of. (Time expired)