Defence officials could not say who controls security camera footage in the lobby of a Sydney office tower where hundreds of army personnel are expected to work, as questions mount over the planned sale of the historic Victoria Barracks.
Staff will be relocated to Defence Plaza Sydney, a leased office tower in the city centre, and Randwick Barracks, where some will work in temporary buildings until permanent facilities are ready.
Defence Secretary Meghan Quinn told a Senate estimates hearing on Oct. 29 that there was no confirmed date for their completion.
Chief of Army Lieutenant General Susan Coyle said the arrangements were not ideal.
“Is it optimum? No, it’s not, and never is. But we will make it work because that’s what we do,” she said.
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Questions Over Security Cameras
She asked who had access to footage from security cameras in the building’s public lobby, which Defence personnel would pass through each day.
Deputy Secretary Celia Perkins was unable to provide an answer and took the question on notice.
Perkins said the relocation would not materially change the building’s threat assessment, as it already accommodated a substantial number of Defence staff.
New security-zone powers proposed in a bill before Parliament could also apply to the building, she added.
Shared Desks and Fitness Facilities
The hearing also examined whether the office tower could adequately accommodate the incoming personnel.
Under Commonwealth office policy, staff will share workstations at a ratio of eight desks for every 10 employees.
Perkins said Defence Plaza had 1,146 work points and sufficient secure computer terminals, while Quinn clarified that only some of the roughly 500 personnel leaving Victoria Barracks would relocate to the tower, with others moving to Randwick.
Collins also questioned whether the building’s gym, which occupies half a floor, could accommodate soldiers required to pass annual fitness assessments.
Officials took questions about the gym’s capacity and changing facilities on notice.
Coyle acknowledged the historical significance of Victoria Barracks, where she had previously lived and worked, but said the army would carry out the government’s decision.
“It’s not relevant how we feel about it,” she said.
Defence Expects $3 Billion From Property Sales
The relocation forms part of a broader plan to dispose of 67 Defence sites.
Defence has declined to disclose projected sale proceeds and costs for individual properties, saying doing so would weaken the Commonwealth’s negotiating position.
However, the department expects to raise about $3 billion from the sales, against an estimated $1.2 billion in relocation, remediation, due diligence, and transition costs.
