Growing Opposition Collides With Councillor’s Victoria Barracks Vision
Image: Cottee Parker Architects
Labor councillor Zann Maxwell has released a design concept for a vacated Victoria Barracks, amidst an expanding chorus of voices against the planned divestment.
Images released by Maxwell show people picnicking and playing cricket on the parade ground, dining between the historic buildings and walking past shops housed within. Adjacent to the existing sandstone buildings are five-storey blocks of flats.
The vision is intended to represent the City of Sydney’s ‘Guiding Principles’ for the site should the Army leave. These concern conservation, public accessibility and ownership, and housing, among other elements.
Labor MLA says divestment “does not stack up”
Opposition to divestment has steadily grown, coming from across the political aisle and from civic organisations. Three online petitions have been launched against it. In March, the National Trust called for the barracks to stay in Defence ownership.
Labor MLA Marjorie O’Neill represents Coogee, near the barracks, which are in the electorate of independent Alex Greenwich. “This decision to sell Victoria Barracks simply does not stack up,” she told the City Hub.
O’Neill said that the senior commanders and units based there have not been properly consulted, and that the decision “ignores the site’s critical strategic capability.”
“Victoria Barracks is not surplus land. It is the birthplace of the Australian Army and a live operational hub that continues to play a critical role in counter-terrorism, crisis response, and major incidents such as Bondi Beach, Lindt Cafe, and APEC, as well as any future response required for major events — including the upcoming Rugby World Cup — and anything in the CBD requiring a quick response time, along with its utility for unique and bespoke operations like COVID.”
She noted that the barracks are “home to one third of the Australian Army.”
Replacing Victoria Barracks with Defence Plaza, located in the city centre, “is not a like-for-like swap,” O’Neill continued. “Defence Plaza is not fit for purpose, and bringing it up to the required security and operational standards will cost Australian taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars.”
“We all recognise the need for Defence assets to evolve, but decisions like this must be grounded in proper consultation, operational reality, and value for taxpayers. On all three fronts, the proposal from the Federal Government raises serious concerns.”
Heritage is hidden away, says Maxwell
Maxwell is eager to see the barracks repurposed. “The Defence Estate Audit found that while these properties have served us proudly, many are no longer fit‑for‑purpose and are constraining Defence’s ability to reposition to meet current and future requirements.”
“The best way to respect the Defence community is to invest in its future capability, and the best way to honour its history here is to open the gates and let Sydney actually experience it. Right now, that’s almost impossible.”
This masthead asked Maxwell if a hybrid option, retaining some Army presence whilst increasing public access, should be pursued. “If it’s still an active base, the security requirements likely make meaningful public access very hard.”
He was “shocked” to learn that of the more than 130 museums and heritage displays maintained by Defence, “around 80 per cent are not accessible to the public.”
“It’s roughly 20 hectares of the estate taken up storing these collections, often without the resources needed for proper preservation. Many rely heavily on volunteers, limiting their ability to protect and share items of real potential historical significance.”
“So, one idea to carry forward its legacy could be to consolidate these collections in a proper new military museum at Victoria Barracks, accessible to the public and properly curated and cared for.”
“I’m open to different models, but whatever happens needs to be planned properly and deliver real public value.”
Lord Mayor Clover Moore recently called for state-owned land to be reutilised for housing, prompting us to ask whether that might serve as an alternative.
“We’re in a housing crisis — this isn’t an either-or. We should be using state-owned land for housing, and we should also make the most of opportunities like Victoria Barracks. The key is making sure it’s done properly, with housing integrated into a great public outcome.”
An earlier version of this article incorrectly described Maxwell as the Deputy Lord Mayor.
You May Also Like
My wife and I are long term term residents Of Pyrmont.
We are opposed to this ‘cheap’ idea of generating residential accommodation by exploiting historic and sensitive establishments such as the Victoria Barracks.
The Federal government will have to handle the obvious requirement for more investment in our national defence by allocation of necessary funds. That just has to be part of our national investment.
Why not convert more of the inner suburban space taken up by terrace houses? They were yester year’s solution for more residential accommodation on CBD adjacent land. Isn’t it time to replace some of these buildings with taller ones of say 4 – 6 levels?