Cade Lucas
This story was one of the top stories from 2024 and was originally published in April.
The Australian Defence Force (ADF) is planning to demolish more buildings at the historic Point Cook RAAF Base, with public consultation on the proposal currently underway.
A total of 19 buildings are earmarked for demolition after being deemed either surplus to requirements or a safety risk, including Bellman hangars RAAF standard huts, store facilities and toilet blocks.
Public consultation opened on March 27 and closes on April 11.
Defence first proposed to demolish the 19 buildings in 2019, but the significant heritage value of the base delayed those plans.
RAAF Base Point Cook was the first military aviation base in Australia, dating from 1913, and the birthplace of the Royal Australian Air Force in 1921.
It is listed on the National (NHL) and Commonwealth Heritage Lists and more than 100 buildings at the base are heritage listed, including some of those set to be demolished, including RAAF standard huts and Bellman hangars, which both date back to World War Two.
A report prepared by the ADF into the proposed demolitions included a heritage impact assessment that found the removal of 15 WWII associated buildings was “likely to degrade or damage one or more National Heritage values” and “permanently destroy, remove and substantially alter’ the fabric of a Commonwealth Heritage Place.”
Despite this the heritage impact assessment still approved the demolitions.
“The proposed action will not cause one or more of the historic NHL values of RAAF Base Point Cook to be lost given the contributory nature of the elements proposed for removal or relocation,” said the report.
“The cumulative impact of loss on the broader NHL environment is diluted somewhat by the fact that the buildings under assessment form part of a larger collection of WWII buildings that demonstrate values at Base-wide level.”
That hasn’t satisfied air force veteran Graham Malcom who was based at Point Cook in 1968 and again in 1973/74.
The former air force fireman who now lives in Tasmania said these latest demolition plans were another example of ADF’s cavalier attitude toward sthe history of the Point Cook base.
“There’s been a considerable amount removed and the stealthy way that they’ve gone about this latest round of demolitions shows that to them Point Cook does not represent anything of great value. It’s just a cost.”
Defence has considered selling the Point Cook base on numerous occasions, including in 2012 and 2016.
Mr Malcom would like to see them relinquish control, but rather than sell it, hand the base over to a trust, similar to the Sydney Harbour Trust that which manages old naval bases in Sydney.
The ADF and federal government were contacted for comment.
Feedback submissions can be emailed to: depac.advice@defence.gov.au
