Use Defence Sites to Protect Housing Options: Anglicare CEO

Anglicare CEO Simon Miller says Defence land earmarked for sale could instead help address Australia’s housing crisis

Key Points:

One solution to Australia’s housing crisis could come from an unexpected source.

In a recent open letter published in the Financial Review, Anglicare CEO Simon Miller responded to the announcement of 67 Defence sites put up for private sale.

Hoping to raise about $2 billion for Australia’s Defence budget, the enormous property sale could be used differently.

“We want to encourage the Federal Government to think about reframing the idea of national security, from not just thinking about protecting from external threats but about protecting Australians from internal threats,” Simon Miller told Hope Mornings.

“Thinking about how you might use that land for community benefit, rather than just balancing the budget.”

“It’s not just about dollars for the budget; it’s about thinking about how we can enrich the lives of Australians,” Simon said.

Anglicare seeks to support communities through financial, housing and aged care services.

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Simon said Anglicare would like to see “a significant proportion of the [Defence] land prioritised for the development of affordable housing, particularly for ‘key workers’.”

Key workers mentioned by Simon included those in the medical, education and childcare sectors.

According to Simon, many of the Defence sites are situated near hospitals or universities, such as Randwick Barracks in Sydney’s eastern suburbs.

If Randwick Barracks were privately sold, Simon predicted the apartments or homes built on it would be too expensive for key workers (among others).

“It’s not just about dollars for the budget; it’s about thinking about how we can enrich the lives of Australians,” Simon said.

“What I’m suggesting is having a broader aperture on what a return to the Australian people looks like.

“If you actually create secure homes for people who are providing much-needed services in aged care, health, schooling and education, you are not just getting dollars for the budget.”

“You are also enriching the lives of those Australians and making sure our cities work better.”

“So you actually have rich, engaged, diverse communities.

“That is a broader picture of what it looks like and means to get a return for the [Federal] Budget.”

Simon Miller encouraged people to contact their local Federal MP to promote this approach.

“It’s an easy thing and if MPs get 5, 10 or 20 letters, they think, ‘Oh my goodness, there is a groundswell of support out there.'”

Listen to the full interview with Simon Miller in the player above.

Feature image: Canva Pro