{"id":458693,"date":"2026-02-04T21:50:17","date_gmt":"2026-02-04T21:50:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/458693\/"},"modified":"2026-02-04T21:50:17","modified_gmt":"2026-02-04T21:50:17","slug":"defence-department-announces-plans-to-sell-off-leeuwin-and-irwin-barracks-in-perth","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/458693\/","title":{"rendered":"Defence Department announces plans to sell off Leeuwin and Irwin Barracks in Perth"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dozens of hectares of prime residential land in Perth’s leafy western suburbs and along the Swan River will be sold off amid a shake up of the Australian Defence property portfolio.<\/p>\n

The federal government has announced plans to either fully or partially sell 67 defence sites across the nation<\/a> in the hopes of freeing up around $1.8 billion for bases in Australia’s north and the AUKUS submarine pact.<\/p>\n

In Western Australia, \u00a0the Defence Department plans to sell off its main Army Reserve site at Irwin Barracks, which sits on a 61.5-hectare site in Karrakatta.<\/p>\n

As many as 1,150 reservists are expected to be impacted by the move, with the department anticipating their work will move to Palmer Barracks in South Guildford once the site is sold.<\/p>\n

About 200 Australian Defence Force personnel and 250 cadets would also be affected by the move.<\/p>\n

The government will also try to sell Leeuwin Barracks, which sits on 14-hectares of prime riverfront land in East Fremantle, for a second time after a bid in 2015 fell over<\/a>.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\"Sale<\/p>\n

The government has tried to sell Leeuwin Barracks before, without success. (ABC News: Jessica Strutt)<\/p>\n

About 250 cadets will be the largest group affected by the move, as well as up to 150 reservists, 100 public service staff and 50 ADF personnel.<\/p>\n

New facilities at Palmer Barracks<\/p>\n

Defence Personnel Minister and WA MP Matt Keogh said the process would now begin to start moving people from both bases.<\/p>\n

“There will be quite a bit of construction work that will need to happen with new, state-of-the-art facilities to go into Palmer Barracks which will provide a consolidated site, near the airport, good transport links, to be the ongoing base in the Perth metro area, if you like, to support our predominantly reservist forces,” he told ABC Radio Perth.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Defence Personnel Minister Matt Keogh says Palmer Barracks will be turned into “the ongoing base in the Perth metro area”. (ABC News: Courtney Withers)<\/p>\n

“And then once that’s ready to go those defence force members, public servants, will move to that site, and then Irwin and Leeuwin will be able to be divested.”<\/p>\n

Mr Keogh said while across the nation Defence land would end up being used for a “wide variety” of purposes, it would be fair to say some would be turned into housing.<\/p>\n

Government to sell historic defence properties<\/a><\/p>\n

The Albanese government has identified 67 defence sites for potential sale, aiming to unlock up to $1.8 billion.<\/p>\n

A Defence fact sheet about plans for WA says final decisions about personnel movements will be made “following consultation”.<\/p>\n

WA Defence Industries Minister Paul Papalia issued only a brief statement after the announcement.<\/p>\n

“Irwin and Leeuwin Barracks are home to the vast majority of WA’s Army units,” he said.<\/p>\n

“It is essential that facilities at Palmer Barracks are expanded and made fit for purpose to accommodate our Army units in advance of any sale of land.”<\/p>\n

Changes in regional WA<\/p>\n

The government says all proceeds from land sales will be retained and reinvested by Defence.<\/p>\n

The importance of strengthening the nation’s northern bases was highlighted in the 2023 Defence Strategic Review, which described Western Australia’s northern coast in particular as a “primary area of military interest”.<\/a><\/p>\n

Not only is it likely the nation’s first line of defence against any potential attack, but the region is also home to much of the nation’s mining and resources industry.<\/p>\n

\"A<\/p>\n

Leeuwin Barracks is located on riverside land in East Fremantle. (Supplied: Defence)<\/p>\n

The audit which recommended the government’s planned sell off also called for an “integrated strategy” for all Defence facilities in the Exmouth region.<\/p>\n

The Commonwealth agreed to that recommendation, committing to create an “integrated strategy for the Exmouth region aligned with the Defence Strategic Review” and a plan to manage the area as an “integrated regional precinct”.<\/p>\n

The shake up is also expected to see the government ends its lease of two regional rife ranges near Busselton and Karratha.<\/p>\n

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