Launceston RSL

29/05/2026

22/05/2026

22/05/2026

MEDIA RELEASE: DOWSING POINT ANNOUNCEMENT LEAVES VETERAN COMMUNITY FEELING MISLED

RSL Tasmania State President Mike Gallagher today expressed his disappointment and disbelief following Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s announcement yesterday regarding the redevelopment and transformation of 31 hectares of Defence land at Dowsing Point in Glenorchy.

In a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Honourable Richard Marles, only three weeks ago, State President Mike Gallagher was personally assured that any divestment of Defence estate assets would occur through a considered two-year process, with genuine opportunity for ongoing consultation and engagement.

It now appears that the Federal Government has reversed that position.

The promise made by the Deputy Prime Minister, along with the Defence Estate consultation team that met with communities in Devonport, Launceston and Hobart earlier this year, was that full consultation over a two-year period would occur before any final decisions were made.

Mr Gallagher said the announcement has left many within Tasmania’s veteran community questioning the integrity of the consultation process.

“How can we have confidence in what we are being told when, within the space of three weeks, the Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister appear to be delivering two very different messages?” Mr Gallagher said.

“To now find ourselves in this position leaves many within the veteran community feeling blindsided and misled.”

“When assurances are given to veterans and their representative organisations, they must mean something. They must be genuine, transparent, and honoured in both spirit and intent.”

Mr Gallagher said RSL Tasmania welcomes the news that the Defence and Veterans’ Workshop will be retained, along with the proposed development of green space surrounding Derwent Barracks for housing. However, he stressed that the barracks themselves contain the only Defence capability of its type in Tasmania, with currently no publicly identified Plan B.

“We absolutely recognise the importance of additional housing during a time of significant housing pressure, and we wholeheartedly welcome any responsible initiative that increases housing supply for Tasmanians,” he said.

“However, this should not overshadow the broken promise concerning consultation, nor the unanswered questions around Defence capability.”
To date, RSL Tasmania said it has seen no detailed plan explaining how Defence intends to divest key estate assets within Tasmania without a corresponding loss of critical capability.

“Until such a plan is presented, our concerns remain substantial and unresolved,” Mr Gallagher said.

“Derwent Barracks contains genuine critical Defence capability. The question that now needs to be asked is whether its fate and potentially the fate of other Defence sites across Tasmania, has already been decided.”

ENDS

21/05/2026

VeteranHub Launceston officially opened today.

18/05/2026

RSL Tasmania has criticised the federal government’s decision to sell Derwent Barracks at Dowsing Point, warning it leaves Hobart without a clear defence backup plan.

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Premier Jeremy Rockliff confirmed the 31-hectare site would be divested to deliver up to 1,000 new homes yesterday.

RSL Tasmania CEO John Hardy said the veteran community was 'blindsided', despite recent assurances of a two-year consultation process and warned there was “no publicly identified Plan B”.

“The veteran community deserves clarity on whether meaningful consultation is still intended or whether the future of Derwent Barracks and potentially other defence sites across Tasmania has already been determined behind closed doors,” he said.

17/05/2026

RSL TASMANIA STATEMENT REGARDING DERWENT BARRACKS

In a meeting with the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Defence, the Honourable Richard Marles, only three weeks ago, RSL Tasmania was assured that any divestment of Defence estate assets would occur through a considered two-year process, with genuine opportunity for ongoing consultation and engagement.

Today, however, the Premier and the Prime Minister met at Dowsing Point to announce the divestment of the site.

While it must be acknowledged that significant areas of green space surrounding the barracks are currently underutilised, and that any initiative to increase housing supply during a time of significant housing pressure would be welcomed by many Tasmanians, we must also address the elephant in the room.

Derwent Barracks contains genuine critical Defence capability.

The vehicle sheds, workshops, logistics functionality and support infrastructure located within Derwent Barracks are critical to the ongoing operation and readiness of our Reserve forces. In the same way our ranges and training areas are essential, so too are the maintenance, storage, and support capabilities that sit in support of them.

Let there be absolutely no doubt, there is currently no publicly identified Plan B for this capability.

This announcement has been made without any clear roadmap outlining how the critical Defence capability housed within Derwent Barracks will be retained, replaced, or transitioned without operational degradation.

The RSL is genuinely pleased that the Defence and Veterans’ Workshop will continue to operate, particularly in an area that contains the highest concentration of veterans in Tasmania. We are also delighted by additional housing outcomes for the Tasmanian community. After all, veterans live in every community across this state.

RSL Tasmania helps house veterans and their families every single week in Tasmania. We see firsthand the pressure that many individuals and families are under. The housing crisis is real, and any responsible solution to increase housing supply should be welcomed.

However, it remains our strong view and the view of many within the volunteer Defence and veteran community, that Derwent Barracks itself must remain operational as a Defence capability precinct. Importantly, we believe this could still be achieved whilst releasing significant surrounding grassed and underutilised areas for housing development.

Our Reserve and cadet forces must not become an afterthought in Defence planning. Both play a critical role in the future defence and resilience of our nation, and both deserve infrastructure that reflects their importance.

RSL Tasmania strongly advocates for further consultation and transparency around these decisions. The veteran community deserves clarity on whether meaningful consultation is still intended, or whether the future of Derwent Barracks and potentially other Defence sites across Tasmania has already been determined behind closed doors.

Sadly, only time will tell.

Image credit: Tasmanian Government