Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

My question is to the Minister representing the Minister for Defence, Senator Wong. The president of RSL Tasmania, John Hardy, has described the Albanese government's announcement of a Tasmanian Defence asset fire sale as 'a catastrophic strategic error that will stand as the largest withdrawal of defence presence from any Australian state since Federation'. He went on to say:

Such a withdrawal fundamentally alters Tasmania's role in Australia's Defence posture and sends a clear signal that Tasmania is no longer regarded as a State of Defence significance.

Minister, do you agree with Mr Hardy's assessment?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I would treat anyone who has served our country with great respect for their service, but we respectfully disagree with the assertions you've just made in this place. We are undertaking significant reform of the Defence estate. We're doing that to ensure it is fit for purpose and to ensure that we can provide the Australian Defence Force with the facilities and capabilities it needs to keep Australians safe. What the audit which was undertaken and very carefully considered has highlighted is that many Defence properties simply aren't fit for purpose. They're not fit for purpose. That's why this reform was necessary.

We do have sites which are vacant. We do have sites which are underutilised. Those sites are costing millions of dollars to maintain. Because of that, they're not able to contribute—in a way that we need and the country needs—to ADF capabilities. I appreciate that this is a challenging reform and that it does mean change. But this is about making sure that the Defence estate is fit for purpose and provides the Australian Defence Force and the men and women who serve in it with the facilities and capabilities needed to keep Australians safe.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chandler, first supplementary?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Defence's own figures show that the Tasmanian sites on Labor's fire-sale list are used by around 300 reservists and 450 cadets. Nationally up 3,300 reservists will be impacted by the sale—around 15 per cent of the reserve workforce. Minister, how can the government claim to strengthen Defence readiness while selling off the very facilities that train our future force who already do so much for our country?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Again, I reject the categorisation that's been used by the senator. I hope she's had the opportunity to read the audit which the Minister for Finance and the Minister for Defence released. That audit does make clear that many Defence properties are no longer fit for purpose to defend Australia. That's a simple proposition. There was a very comprehensive process gone through to look at the many locations of the Defence estate and to judge it against those criteria. Can I also indicate that the government did ask Defence to undertake a comprehensive assessment of the potential impacts upon personnel, including reservists. And all Defence personnel, including reservists, will be transitioned to alternative sites.

Sue Lines (President) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Senator Chandler, second supplementary?

Claire Chandler (Tasmania, Liberal Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Minister, can the Albanese government guarantee that, as a result of these estate sales, there will be no net reduction in Defence jobs, reserve opportunities and Defence training in Tasmania?

Penny Wong (SA, Australian Labor Party, Minister for Foreign Affairs) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Tasmania has an historic and high level of commitment to military service. We are committed to recruitment and retention of personnel in Tasmania. Defence will retain a strong presence in Tasmania, including through the consolidation of the Burnie training depot and the Devonport training depot to a new multiuser depot, which builds on recent investments in the triservice cadet depot in Launceston, estimated to be completed by 2027, and builds on major investments such as the upgrade and maintenance of facilities at Anglesea Barracks.