David Shoebridge (NSW, Australian Greens) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I, and also on behalf of Senator Lambie, move:

That the following matter be referred to the Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade References Committee for inquiry and report by 3 June 2026:

The planning, management, utilisation and disposal of Defence estate assets, with particular reference to:

(a) the alignment of Defence estate planning with Australia's defence requirements;

(b) the processes for planning and conducting acquisition, management, development, upgrade and disposal of Defence estate assets;

(c) how the requirements of the permanent forces, reserve forces and cadet units are captured and incorporated into the planning and management of the Defence estate;

(d) the financial assumptions underpinning estate divestment, including estimated remediation costs, net return projections, previous Defence property disposal programs and the transfer of responsibility from the Department of Defence to the Department of Finance;

(e) the heritage significance of Defence estate assets and the adequacy of measures to protect that significance during and following divestment, including the impact on veteran and community connections to sites of military service;

(f) the Defence estate audit, including its planning, conduct and the potential of the period between its completion and public release to have degraded validity of the audit's findings;

(g) consideration of an amended policy framework for the use of surplus Defence land that prioritises alternative public uses over private development; and

(h) any other related matters.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

I seek leave to make a short statement.

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

Leave is granted for one minute.

Katy Gallagher (ACT, Australian Labor Party, Minister for the Public Service) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

We don't support this motion today. Obviously, if the Senate supports it, we will work with the committee. But we do believe that the work has been done on the Defence estate audit, which did find that previous governments had deferred hard decisions to make the estate fit for purpose. This government has taken the time to work through the implications for ADF personnel in the community, including in history and heritage. We are focused on delivering the most significant Defence estate reforms ever to ensure the estate is fit for purpose, and I look forward to working with any senator on it as some of this responsibility falls under my portfolio.

Question agreed to.

by leave—I ask that the government's opposition to the motion please be recorded.

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

Yes, thank you.