Tasmania will become the only state without a live-fire military training facility if the federal government proceeds with its planned defence asset sell-off, RSL Tasmania has warned.
The state stands to lose a quarter of all sites earmarked for divestment under the Defence Estate Audit, sparking a fierce backlash from veterans and the state government.
Peter Williams, RSL Tasmania’s northern director, said the sell-off would strip the state of critical infrastructure, including Fort Direction ammunition storage and training areas at Buckland and Stoneyhead.
“This sell-off is just a disaster for both the reserves and the cadets in this state,” he said.
“Once the ranges are closed in Buckland and Stoneyhead, we’ll have no capacity to do any live-firing at all.”
Williams dismissed claims that simulation could replace live-fire exercises.
“Simulation doesn’t replace live-firing for the training of soldiers or servicemen and women at all,” he said.
About 700 reserve soldiers in Tasmania would lose their training depots under the plan.
Deputy Premier Guy Barnett condemned the sell-off as inappropriate and disrespectful to veterans.
“Tasmania has always punched above its weight,” he said.
“We enlist more from Tasmania than any other state per capita in our world wars.”
Barnett said the state government was not opposed to selling assets for purposes such as housing, but demanded proper consultation.
“The wholesale sell-off announced just recently by the Federal Labor government is not on,” he said. “And we’d ask them to reconsider.”
Federal minister Julie Collins defended the audit earlier this week, saying it identified “billions of dollars” being spent on land defence does not need or use.
“What I want to do is reassure people that there’ll be consultation on any land disposals that occur,” she said.
Collins confirmed the government would retain Anglesea Barracks in Hobart, with $20 million already reinvested into the site.
But Williams said the RSL only learned of the sell-off late last year, with no meaningful consultation before the announcement.
He said the plan would force Tasmanian personnel to travel to the mainland for training, adding significant cost.
The state government has called on the federal government to reconsider the decision.
