1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:03,240 Speaker 1: A redundant Navy fuel facility, is one of several top 2 00:00:03,360 --> 00:00:05,960 Speaker 1: end properties that the alben Eazy government is going to 3 00:00:05,960 --> 00:00:07,880 Speaker 1: be putting on the market as part of a three 4 00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:13,200 Speaker 1: billion dollar nationwide selloff of defense estate. The Defense Minister 5 00:00:13,320 --> 00:00:16,960 Speaker 1: Richard Marles signing off on Stoke sell fuel installation, which 6 00:00:17,000 --> 00:00:20,439 Speaker 1: is located on Francis Bay Drive, to be sold, with 7 00:00:20,560 --> 00:00:24,040 Speaker 1: Canberra also hoping to cash in on two other prime 8 00:00:24,079 --> 00:00:28,000 Speaker 1: properties along the Stuart Highway. Now joining us on the 9 00:00:28,080 --> 00:00:31,440 Speaker 1: line to talk more about this is the NT News 10 00:00:31,800 --> 00:00:33,520 Speaker 1: Defense reporter Harry Brill. 11 00:00:33,640 --> 00:00:37,480 Speaker 2: Good morning, Harry, get okatie. Hey Don, Yeah, really good. 12 00:00:37,520 --> 00:00:39,879 Speaker 1: Great to have you on the show, Harry. What's the 13 00:00:39,920 --> 00:00:42,159 Speaker 1: situation with this defense selloff? 14 00:00:43,400 --> 00:00:46,199 Speaker 2: Yeah, So yesterday's Defense Minister Richard Moult came out with 15 00:00:46,440 --> 00:00:48,920 Speaker 2: a bit of a bombshell, no pun intended. There are 16 00:00:48,960 --> 00:00:51,640 Speaker 2: going to be sixty eight defensive states across the country 17 00:00:51,640 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 2: that are going to be put on the market. The 18 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:55,600 Speaker 2: Northern Territory we've only got three that are going to 19 00:00:55,640 --> 00:00:59,960 Speaker 2: be given away. But it's very exciting, it's very interesting. 20 00:01:00,040 --> 00:01:02,360 Speaker 2: There's going to be a lot of heartbreak as well. 21 00:01:03,000 --> 00:01:06,080 Speaker 2: Some of these landlots and defense bases mean a lot 22 00:01:06,120 --> 00:01:08,479 Speaker 2: to a lot of people. But yeah, there's a lot 23 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:09,919 Speaker 2: that's going to be coming ahead. 24 00:01:10,319 --> 00:01:14,600 Speaker 1: Harry talkers through the exact sort of locations, and you 25 00:01:14,640 --> 00:01:17,080 Speaker 1: know why they might be a bit significant, I suppose 26 00:01:17,200 --> 00:01:18,680 Speaker 1: to the community. 27 00:01:19,880 --> 00:01:22,400 Speaker 2: Yeah, so probably the one that's most notable with the 28 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:26,400 Speaker 2: one you've mentioned, Katie, so Stokes War Fuel Installation. It's 29 00:01:26,400 --> 00:01:29,640 Speaker 2: been around for almost one hundred years. It was pretty 30 00:01:29,720 --> 00:01:32,399 Speaker 2: much the Navy's go to spot in terms of refueling. 31 00:01:32,680 --> 00:01:35,960 Speaker 2: It's been redundant now for just over ten years, so 32 00:01:36,040 --> 00:01:38,440 Speaker 2: it's probably not really in the minds of a lot 33 00:01:38,440 --> 00:01:43,040 Speaker 2: of locals. The other two locations is Corndi North, which 34 00:01:43,080 --> 00:01:46,360 Speaker 2: is basically next to how It Springs. It's right opposite 35 00:01:46,600 --> 00:01:52,800 Speaker 2: Howard Springs facility. And then we've also got Defense Establishment Barrow. 36 00:01:53,040 --> 00:01:55,840 Speaker 2: Now it's not Broma Base itself, it's actually the land 37 00:01:55,840 --> 00:01:57,920 Speaker 2: adjacent to it. But there's a big chunk of bush 38 00:01:58,000 --> 00:02:00,960 Speaker 2: land which is going to go on the market. Look 39 00:02:01,040 --> 00:02:04,600 Speaker 2: the two landlots that are going to be sold, so 40 00:02:05,400 --> 00:02:09,400 Speaker 2: Kowandai North and Berrima. It's vacant land. It's not stuff 41 00:02:09,440 --> 00:02:12,800 Speaker 2: that has really been used. It's not places that people 42 00:02:12,840 --> 00:02:16,720 Speaker 2: that familiar with, but Stokes War Fuel Installation. It's a 43 00:02:16,760 --> 00:02:19,520 Speaker 2: big structure. A lot of people who hit the water, 44 00:02:19,600 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 2: they see it. It does have some historical significance. But yeah, look, 45 00:02:24,760 --> 00:02:27,640 Speaker 2: we've we've probably got we haven't got any heritage listed 46 00:02:27,680 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 2: sites that have gone on the market. It's basically just 47 00:02:30,360 --> 00:02:31,079 Speaker 2: land itself. 48 00:02:31,800 --> 00:02:33,959 Speaker 1: I wonder if they'll be like, I wonder if there's 49 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:36,519 Speaker 1: any issues with the land or anything, like, if they're 50 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:39,160 Speaker 1: don't like, if there's contamination or anything, give them that 51 00:02:39,240 --> 00:02:42,359 Speaker 1: they're fuel storage, you know, all they. 52 00:02:42,240 --> 00:02:45,520 Speaker 2: Were, Yeah, you've hit the nail on the head, actually, Katie, 53 00:02:45,639 --> 00:02:49,799 Speaker 2: So the Stokes, the Stokes War Fuel Installation is in 54 00:02:49,800 --> 00:02:52,560 Speaker 2: fact contaminated. This is something defense officials have admitted and 55 00:02:52,919 --> 00:02:55,440 Speaker 2: they have not shied away from that whatsoever. We don't 56 00:02:55,440 --> 00:02:58,640 Speaker 2: know what the extent of that is. There is rooms 57 00:02:58,680 --> 00:03:00,160 Speaker 2: going around that there's going to be a little bit 58 00:03:00,160 --> 00:03:02,960 Speaker 2: of money to be paid in order to deconcaminate that 59 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:06,839 Speaker 2: area and get it above board. But there's also other complications, 60 00:03:06,880 --> 00:03:09,880 Speaker 2: and this is probably not one which is most ambiguous, 61 00:03:09,880 --> 00:03:12,440 Speaker 2: and that's the fact that part of the installation is 62 00:03:12,480 --> 00:03:16,560 Speaker 2: actually located on a sacred site. Oh so right now 63 00:03:16,600 --> 00:03:19,320 Speaker 2: we've got this other dimension. Now that is a little bit, 64 00:03:20,080 --> 00:03:22,720 Speaker 2: a little bit combicuous, and of course it's in the 65 00:03:22,760 --> 00:03:24,960 Speaker 2: fresh it's fresh in the minds of a lot of people, right, 66 00:03:25,080 --> 00:03:27,040 Speaker 2: But it was only a few months ago that the 67 00:03:27,040 --> 00:03:30,120 Speaker 2: Singaporeans turned their back on a development in the same 68 00:03:30,160 --> 00:03:32,959 Speaker 2: sort of area. So you know, what does that mean 69 00:03:33,000 --> 00:03:35,600 Speaker 2: for potential buyers who knows, well. 70 00:03:35,360 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: Probably kind of mean they don't want to buy it, Harry, 71 00:03:37,680 --> 00:03:39,880 Speaker 1: isn't it you know, because it'll make it so difficult, 72 00:03:39,880 --> 00:03:41,840 Speaker 1: like it would make it really difficult to be able 73 00:03:41,880 --> 00:03:43,760 Speaker 1: to develop it or be able to do anything you 74 00:03:43,800 --> 00:03:45,040 Speaker 1: would suspect. 75 00:03:45,280 --> 00:03:47,240 Speaker 2: Oh, for sure. And it's going to be interesting because 76 00:03:47,320 --> 00:03:50,760 Speaker 2: Richard Miles himself has said that he wants to sell 77 00:03:50,840 --> 00:03:54,320 Speaker 2: these properties at market value. But if potential buyers are 78 00:03:54,360 --> 00:03:57,320 Speaker 2: a little bit you know, tentative about things like sacred 79 00:03:57,360 --> 00:04:01,080 Speaker 2: sites and contamination, well you know, they might have their 80 00:04:01,120 --> 00:04:03,560 Speaker 2: work cut out trying to get someone to buy it 81 00:04:03,640 --> 00:04:06,120 Speaker 2: off them and take it off their backs. But this 82 00:04:06,240 --> 00:04:07,440 Speaker 2: is stuff that we're going to have to keep an 83 00:04:07,440 --> 00:04:09,280 Speaker 2: eye on in the coming months and see who's going 84 00:04:09,280 --> 00:04:11,320 Speaker 2: to be sniffing around and Harry, what's. 85 00:04:11,080 --> 00:04:13,640 Speaker 1: The defense minister seed in terms of why they're doing 86 00:04:13,640 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: this big sell off. Are they sort of looking to 87 00:04:15,600 --> 00:04:18,640 Speaker 1: raise a bit of money to then invest into other 88 00:04:18,760 --> 00:04:19,719 Speaker 1: defense assets. 89 00:04:20,640 --> 00:04:23,400 Speaker 2: Yes, So it's well known that defense they're pretty much 90 00:04:23,400 --> 00:04:25,760 Speaker 2: the biggest landholders in the country. They've got huge swaths 91 00:04:25,760 --> 00:04:28,600 Speaker 2: of land. A lot of their properties are redundant, and 92 00:04:28,640 --> 00:04:32,320 Speaker 2: they've been sitting out in the open collecting dust. They 93 00:04:32,360 --> 00:04:36,400 Speaker 2: don't necessarily have units rotating through them, and Defense basically 94 00:04:36,480 --> 00:04:38,880 Speaker 2: launch in order to find out which properties that can 95 00:04:38,960 --> 00:04:41,920 Speaker 2: get rid of and lighten the load on tax payers. 96 00:04:41,960 --> 00:04:44,599 Speaker 2: And these sixty eight the states are part of that. 97 00:04:44,920 --> 00:04:48,159 Speaker 2: The money that they're going to be raising selling they're 98 00:04:48,160 --> 00:04:51,520 Speaker 2: going to be reinvesting into the defensive strategic review and 99 00:04:51,560 --> 00:04:55,320 Speaker 2: basically other priorities. So think of things like the Orchest 100 00:04:55,320 --> 00:05:00,120 Speaker 2: submarine projects, basically big priority topics that Defense want to 101 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:02,600 Speaker 2: get over the line. The three billion dollars that they 102 00:05:02,600 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 2: were raised, and it should be noted three billion dollars 103 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:07,000 Speaker 2: is a bit of a it's a drop in the 104 00:05:07,040 --> 00:05:10,400 Speaker 2: ocean really in terms of defense money. But that three 105 00:05:10,400 --> 00:05:14,120 Speaker 2: and billion dollars can go towards other procurement objectives and 106 00:05:14,160 --> 00:05:14,440 Speaker 2: the like. 107 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: Well, Harriet, it's really interesting, I think, and I was 108 00:05:17,600 --> 00:05:20,520 Speaker 1: quite fascinated when I saw that these these two locations 109 00:05:20,600 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: or these well three, I guess it is in the end, 110 00:05:22,680 --> 00:05:26,719 Speaker 1: is that two? But you know one with the two areas. 111 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,760 Speaker 1: But yeah, it's going to be it's going to be 112 00:05:30,080 --> 00:05:34,000 Speaker 1: interesting to see whether they sell off. 113 00:05:34,080 --> 00:05:36,960 Speaker 2: Sure, and look, who knows what's going to be built? 114 00:05:36,960 --> 00:05:38,000 Speaker 2: And now I'm sure there's going to be a lot 115 00:05:38,000 --> 00:05:41,680 Speaker 2: of imaginative entrepreneurial minds out there that will have their ideas. 116 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:44,479 Speaker 2: I'm sure a lot of your listeners have probably got 117 00:05:44,760 --> 00:05:48,680 Speaker 2: their thoughts on what should be built in these vacant blocks. 118 00:05:48,080 --> 00:05:50,520 Speaker 2: It's going to be a very interesting few months ahead. 119 00:05:50,800 --> 00:05:54,119 Speaker 1: Was one of those locations, I'm just you know, straight 120 00:05:54,120 --> 00:05:56,000 Speaker 1: off the top of my head here, but was one 121 00:05:56,040 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: of the Stokes Hill area? Is that where we were 122 00:05:58,360 --> 00:06:01,359 Speaker 1: talking about having the all stadium? 123 00:06:02,120 --> 00:06:03,719 Speaker 2: You know what I would actually have to I have 124 00:06:03,760 --> 00:06:04,200 Speaker 2: to take it. 125 00:06:04,120 --> 00:06:06,119 Speaker 1: Could be wrong, it might be a little bit further 126 00:06:06,400 --> 00:06:09,960 Speaker 1: a bit further around, but I'm sure somebody listening might remember. 127 00:06:10,320 --> 00:06:12,240 Speaker 1: But maybe we can do some kind of deal with 128 00:06:12,320 --> 00:06:13,120 Speaker 1: defense on that. 129 00:06:14,279 --> 00:06:16,960 Speaker 2: Well, look, it's a three point eight hectare area, so 130 00:06:17,160 --> 00:06:20,440 Speaker 2: there's probably more than enough weigle room to do something 131 00:06:20,520 --> 00:06:25,360 Speaker 2: that's really interesting there. I think there is obviously anything. 132 00:06:25,360 --> 00:06:27,720 Speaker 2: Of course, the water seems to have this allure about it, 133 00:06:27,920 --> 00:06:30,560 Speaker 2: so I'm sure that there's someone out there that would 134 00:06:30,560 --> 00:06:32,479 Speaker 2: have an idea of what what could be done on 135 00:06:32,520 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 2: friends bait drive there. I think it's going to be 136 00:06:35,440 --> 00:06:38,520 Speaker 2: really interesting to see who's got the courage to actually 137 00:06:39,160 --> 00:06:42,520 Speaker 2: stick their neck out and try something, because it's just 138 00:06:42,520 --> 00:06:45,200 Speaker 2: been sitting there for one hundred years, you know, ninety 139 00:06:45,279 --> 00:06:47,960 Speaker 2: nin percent of territories have never set foot on that area. 140 00:06:48,360 --> 00:06:52,160 Speaker 1: Who knows, Yeah, it'll be interesting to see. Harry Brill, 141 00:06:52,320 --> 00:06:55,160 Speaker 1: the NTI News Defense reporter. Great to catch up with 142 00:06:55,200 --> 00:06:57,279 Speaker 1: you this morning, mate, Thanks so much for talking us 143 00:06:57,279 --> 00:06:58,000 Speaker 1: through this story. 144 00:06:58,360 --> 00:07:00,000 Speaker 2: Thanks Katie Ketcher, thank you