Perth barracks sale will protect heritage sites, defence minister says
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the planned sale of Perth’s Irwin and Leeuwin barracks would not result in unrestricted housing development because heritage overlays protect the sites. The properties will be remediated and sold only after cadets and reservists move to alternative facilities.
Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles says the planned sale of two Perth barracks will not lead to the sites being demolished for housing. Irwin Barracks and Leeuwin Barracks occupy valuable land in residential areas, but both are protected by heritage overlays. Mr.
Marles said the legal protections would limit future development and that the sites would not be bulldozed. The properties must first be remediated and prepared before being transferred to the Department of Finance, which will manage their sale. The minister said the sales were still some way off because cadets and Army reservists currently using the sites must move to alternative facilities.
Defence is consulting the Western Australian RSL branch about transferring some activities to Palmer Barracks in South Guildford. Mr. Marles said the objective was to provide better facilities for reservists and cadets while making the Defence estate more suitable for its operational needs.
Irwin Barracks covers 61.5 hectares in Perth’s western suburbs, while Leeuwin occupies 14 hectares on the Swan River waterfront at East Fremantle. Mr. Marles said heritage sites could eventually be opened more extensively to the public.
He did not disclose whether expressions of interest had been received or estimate the properties’ value. The source does not provide a sale date, a development plan or details of the remediation work required.
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