politics
Deputy PM Marles defends Victoria Barracks sale amid criticism
Deputy PM Marles defends keeping Sydney's Victoria Barracks in public hands after critics called for its sale.
Key points
- Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles confirmed the 180-year-old Victoria Barracks will remain in public hands.
- Critics including Tony Abbott and Chris Minns argued the site costs taxpayers $200m over the next decade.
- Marles stated the site will no longer be maintained as a Defence estate to save hundreds of millions of dollars.
Why it matters. This decision determines whether hundreds of millions of dollars previously earmarked for maintaining the barracks will be redirected to improve military capabilities instead of preserving the site as a Defence estate.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles defended the decision to keep Sydney's Victoria Barracks in public hands despite earlier plans to sell the 180-year-old site to private developers. Critics, including former Prime Minister Tony Abbott and NSW Premier Chris Minns, argued the location holds deep cultural significance and costs taxpayers $200m over the next decade.
Latest updates
Deputy PM Marles defends Victoria Barracks sale amid criticism
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles has firmly defended the government's decision to sell Sydney's historic Victoria Barracks despite widespread public criticism. The 180-year-old garrison was originally slated for sale to private developers under a cost-saving plan targeting unneeded Defence assets, though the policy faced a recent reversal. Marles characterized the backlash as untenable and maintained that the sale remains a necessary fiscal measure. Critics argue the site holds significant cultural value and that the sale undermines heritage preservation efforts.
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