More than 2,000 people turned out in Sydney on Sunday to urge Anthony Albanese to stop the proposed sale of Victoria Barracks, in the biggest public show of support yet for the historic military site.
Former prime ministers John Howard and Tony Abbott were among the high-profile figures at the Save Victoria Barracks rally at Kippax Lake, after organisers moved the event from Oxford St to accommodate the crowd.
The demonstration added fresh pressure on the federal government over plans to sell the Paddington barracks, which opponents argue should remain in public hands and continue operating as a defence base.
Mr Howard told the rally the Prime Minister should step in and halt the sale.
“If the prime minister (Anthony Albanese) was to intervene and stop the sale, than I would be the first to go on 2GB and congratulate him,” Mr Howard said.
“We think it is a precious, irreplaceable, not-for-sale national asset … you don’t give that up for a few bob.”
Victoria Barracks has been in continuous military use since 1848 and critics of the sale argue its importance extends beyond heritage, pointing to its strategic position near the CBD and its role in defence and emergency response capability.
Opposition Leader Angus Taylor used the rally to cast the fight as bigger than a property dispute, telling supporters they were united by heritage, history and national security.
“I am here, you are here, we are all here to protect our heritage,” Mr Taylor said.
“We’re all here because we cherish our history.”
He then turned to the site’s defence role, adding: “We’re all here because we want to see our nation defended,” before accusing the Prime Minister and Defence Minister of failing to grasp what was at stake.
NSW Veterans Minister David Harris told the crowd the state government was prepared to use planning and heritage avenues to try to slow the Commonwealth’s move.
“Premier (Chris Minns) has given his commitment that if there’s any way that the NSW government can put in place – rules, regulations, and different statutory instruments – then we will do so because we believe this is the wrong decision,” Mr Harris said.
“What I would say to the federal government is this: It is never the wrong thing to say you got it wrong. The only wrong thing is to go forward and let it happen.”
In comments to News24 before Sunday’s rally, Senator Collins urged supporters to attend and reject claims opposition to the sale was limited.
“We need to show the Prime Minister that this is a nationwide impact and that everybody feels very, very strongly about it,” Senator Collins told News24.
“We heard this week that the Defence Minister Richard Marles thought it was a minority opposition, but that’s not what I’m hearing; that’s not what I hear when I go around the country, when I go around New South Wales and Sydney.”
Also speaking to News24 ahead of the rally, RSL NSW president and retired Brigadier Vince Williams criticised the proposal in strong terms.
“It’s a total failure of leadership from my perspective,” Brigadier Williams told News24.
“It’s been going for 178 years. I mean, it predates the state of Victoria, and it’s been continuously used as a military establishment since it first opened in 1848.
“It’s an effective operational base, it should be maintained as an operational base.
“And at the very least, the ownership must be retained by the Australian people. We don’t want to see it put in the hands of some developer who has no sense of history.”