China concerns raised over Defence department’s $3 billion property ‘fire sale’
Following the ‘fire sale’ of 67 defence properties around the country, concern is rising that foreign powers like China could soon buy land next to sensitive military sites.
Defence has played down concerns that foreign powers such as China could soon buy land next to sensitive military sites, including a highly secure training base for Australian spies and special forces soldiers in Victoria.
During a heated senate estimates hearing on Wednesday, officials were grilled about the $3 billion “fire sale” of 67 defence properties around the country, unveiled earlier this month by the Albanese Government.
Among the sites being sold are Victoria Barracks in Sydney, Brisbane and Melbourne, HMAS Penguin in NSW, as well as a golf course next to Victoria’s Swan Island training facility, which is used by the SAS and spy agency ASIS.
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By continuing you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy.Liberal Senator Sarah Henderson has highlighted the proposed sale of the Swan Island golf course in her home State and demanded to know what safeguards will be in place to avoid it falling into the control of potential adversaries.
“How is the Swan Island facility going to be appropriately protected when you are proposing to sell off land adjacent to that facility? You haven’t even made it clear that this won’t go to foreign interests”, Senator Henderson said.
“We all know this is a highly secure and sensitive facility — how on earth could this government contemplate selling off land adjacent to this facility, which could potentially go to anyone, including foreign buyers? It is a disgrace”.
“How are you going to stop the Chinese from purchasing? Are the Chinese able to purchase this land? I mean, come on,” Senator Henderson said during a heated exchange with Labor frontbencher Jenny McAllister.
“The point I’d make as a headline is it’s already a publicly accessible golf course,” Defence’s deputy secretary security and estate Celia Perkins said in response to the Opposition senator.
“Where there are sites on the divestment list where there may be a security requirement to understand, that there is a capacity to build that into the conditions of sale, that would certainly be our intention at a number of sites”.
Defence Chief Admiral David Johnston was reluctant to discuss the Swan Island site, telling senate estimates “the less said about it, frankly, the better”, but insisted the department would take a “bespoke” approach to each sale factoring in security and community concerns.
Elsewhere across the country, community anger is growing at other proposed defence property selloffs, including the publicly accessible Fairbairn Gold Course near Canberra airport.
Fairbairn Golf Club President Brian Depree has this week written to members saying: “Please do not bother the staff, board or committee members with your questions as we have no further answers at this time”.
“Our lease will remain in place until the plan is in place and may remain in place afterwards, subject to the plan’s outcomes,” he writes in a message obtained by The Nightly.
On Wednesday, the departing Defence Secretary Greg Moriarty again warned about China’s growing military presence in the region, as he appeared before Senate estimates for the final time before he becomes Australia’s ambassador to Washington.
“We have seen a greater People’s Liberation Army Navy … presence than in recent years. We expect this to continue,” Mr Moriarty told Parliament ahead of replacing Kevin Rudd as ambassador to the United States in April.
“We have consistently raised the importance of China providing greater strategic transparency and reassurance about its activities in our region.”
Admiral Johnston also confirmed that a Chinese naval flotilla that was being monitored in the Philippine Sea late last year did eventually make its way into the south-west Pacific but remained “more than 200 nautical miles” from Australian territory.
“While it remained more than 200 nautical miles from Australian territory, the deployment of a PLA-N amphibious task group in the south-west Pacific at the end of last year was a notable example of China’s growing willingness to project its military power in the Pacific and closer to our shores,” he told the committee.
“We expect deployments like this will continue. I want to reassure you we are alert to this reality. Along with allies and partners the ADF continues to monitor military activity in this region. We’re ready to respond when required,” Admiral Johnston said.
