The Albanese Government's Defence Base Sell Off
On the 4th of February 2026, Defence Minister Richard Marles’ announced that he would be selling off 67 Defence bases – the biggest Defence base sell of in Australia’s history. The plan is deeply unpopular, and the process he undertook is plagued with controversy. As Chair of the Senate Inquiry into Management of Defence estate assets, Jess Collins has been a leading opponant to the sell off.
Below is a timeline of the Albanese Government’s scandalous Defence base sell off.
Jess Collins confronts Defense Bureaucrats about the ACCC cartel case
Jess Collins exposes the truth about Defence bureaucrats spending
In a lightbulb moment, Jess asks Defence why a basic estate management task can’t be carried out by Defence members.
Jess Collins calls out the Government's BIG LIE about Victoria Barracks Sydney costing more to run than Defence Plaza Sydney
Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Legislation Committee – 02/06/2026 – Estimates – DEFENCE PORTFOLIO – Department of Defence
Senator COLLINS: Thank you; that’s helpful. I might bring you back to the evidence you gave me at the previous hearing. You said, ‘I can take the specifics on notice,’ when I asked you about the difference in the cost of running Victoria Barracks Sydney versus the cost of running Defence Plaza Sydney. We still don’t have that, and you’re sitting before me again today saying that you’ll take the specifics on notice. It really doesn’t help us do our job if we continually get that response. If there’s somebody who can help you, who is sitting here tonight, that would be very helpful.
Ms Perkins : We’ve taken a very large number of questions from you on notice in that inquiry. That’s underway, and we are working through those as rapidly as we can. I can’t really advance from there.
Senator COLLINS: On the Defence Plaza Sydney lease, three years earlier on 23 February you signed a 10-year lease. Was that the contract for more than $230 million? Was it contract number CN3990844?
Ms Perkins : I can check the specifics of that and come back to you.
Senator COLLINS: I might come back to that in a moment, but does anybody have any idea about the ballpark of the lease for Defence Plaza Sydney? Can anybody check that now?
Ms Perkins : I would say that sounds like the ballpark of the lease, but I would want to go back and check that number for you.
Senator COLLINS: That’s fine, because I’ve done back-of-the-envelope calculations here. You’ll have to excuse me for doing back-of-the-envelope calculations, but that’s all we’ve got to work on. What I can work out is that with the $83 million that was invested in Defence Plaza Sydney, amortised over 10 years, and with the cost of the lease, it equates to $314 million over 10 years for Defence Plaza Sydney. The Defence Estate Audit tells us that an average of 333 people work in that facility. From back-of-the-envelope calculations, that works out to be around $94,000 per person.
If we do the same thing with Victoria Barracks, there are 300 ADF and APS employees, according to the Delivering the Future Estate factsheet, with $20 million a year to keep it operational, so we’re talking $66,000 per person. You have given us evidence that the cost of running Victoria Barracks Sydney is substantially more, but my calculations tell a very different story. What’s your view on that? My understanding is it makes more sense to move the employees from Defence Plaza Sydney, where they have been underutilised, to Victoria Barracks.
Anthony Roberts MP (former Planning Minister and Jess Collins' local member) informs the NSW Legislative Assembly that he will be introducing legislation to make it almost impossible to rezone Defence land in New South Wales.
A Bill for an Act to amend the Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 to require approval by resolution of each House of Parliament before the making, amendment or repeal of an environmental planning instrument, or the exercise of any other planning function under that Act or under an environmental planning instrument, that would rezone, permit or facilitate the rezoning of, materially alter the planning controls applying to, or otherwise enable a material change in the development, use, subdivision, density, scale or intensity of use of, specified defence sites, whether or not the land is held by the Commonwealth; and for related purposes.
Jess Collins reveals that Richard Marles' hand picked 'independent auditors' are neither independent, nor auditors.
Jess Collins: Why is there no statement of independence? I understand you’ve identified that this is not a usual audit report, but it says that it is an audit. The government has identified that it’s an audit. In every audit, usually, you would have a statement of independence. You’ve called it an independent report. So where’s the statement of independence?