The Australian government announced a plan to sell more than 60 defence properties, including historic sites like Victoria Barracks in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. The sales could raise up to $1.8 billion from properties such as training bases, warehouses, and unused lands deemed to lack strategic value. Defence Minister Richard Marles said all proceeds from about $3 billion in property holdings would be returned to defence, stressing a "laser focus" on value for money. The RSL national president, Peter Tinley, supported modernising infrastructure but warned, "These aren’t empty paddocks on a spreadsheet. Some of these sales will take a decade and cost a fortune in remediation. The $1.8bn / $3b headline figure may look very different when the final accounting is done." Shadow Defence Minister Angus Taylor called the plan a "fire sale," urging careful review amid Australia’s challenging security environment. NSW Premier Chris Minns stressed the importance of heritage: "The heritage value of Victoria barracks is very important... I hope they do it sensitively." Greens spokesperson David Shoebridge demanded some sites be used for social and affordable housing, calling the sale a "three-way betrayal" if heritage and housing needs are ignored. Sydney councillor Zann Maxwell urged imagination, describing Victoria Barracks as "15 hectares of extraordinary land locked away in the middle of a dense global city, at a time when Sydney desperately needs public space, cultural venues and housing solutions that respect heritage." The reviews cover sites like HMAS Penguin, Spectacle Island, and RAAF Williams, with some sales expected to stretch over many years.