3 JUNE, 2026
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Fight takes flight By Jaidyn Kennedy The fight to save RAAF Base Point Cook shows no signs of abating, with residents and Wyndham council continuing to oppose its planned sale. In February, Defence Minister Richard Marles revealed the 342-hectare site and birthplace of the Royal Australian Air Force would be one of 67 military sites fully or partially divested. Nearby RAAF Williams Laverton will be partially divested, as per the recommendations of a defence audit. Mark Pilkington of the Point Cook Heritage Site Trust Working Group is among those on the frontline of the campaign to retain the base for community and tourism use. “We would lose an important operating field regardless of its heritage, but we also undermine the value of the site as a cohesive heritage tourism opportunity to visit various education and engineering fields,” Mr Pilkington said. “The whole history of that corner of Wyndham and Hobsons Bay is very tied to early aviation. “Rather than capitalising on it just how Sovereign Hill makes Ballarat the gold capital of Australia, we lose the opportunity to brand Hobsons Bay and Wyndham around the heritage.” Mr Pilkington said that transferring the management of the site into a community trust would be the best way to preserve the site, and enhance its standing as a tourist destination. At the 26 May meeting, Wyndham councillors doubled down on their opposition to the site being divested when discussing submissions council had
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Heather Marcus, Len Waddell, Cr Susan McIntyre, Mark Pilkington, Cr Jasmine Hill and Lisa Heinrichs. (Jaidyn Kennedy)
prepared for the federal government. Deputy mayor Jasmine Hill said the suburb was not able to cope with more residential development. “The temptation for short-term fi nancial outcomes must not overwrite national and local long-term environmental and strategic considerations,” Cr Hill said. “Point Cook is already under immense infrastructure pressure, with significant congestion, limited public transport connectivity and a growing demand on schools, health services and community infrastructure. “Additional residential development would only intensify those challenges.” Cr Susan McIntyre echoed the sentiment. “Point Cook already has already seen
significant growth, just opposite here is Aviator Fields with thousands of homes coming in there,” Cr McIntyre said. “Additionally, housing on this site is not going to solve anything, instead it risks losing a once in a generation opportunity to not only protect but to celebrate that place of national importance. “It is not about just preserving buildings, it is really about protecting Australia’s story.” When asked if the state government would allow housing on the site if it were sold, a Department of Transport and Planning spokesperson said “Any future proposal would be considered on its merits and subject to a planning process.” A Defence spokesperson said the department was implementing the
recommendations of the Defence Estate Audit in accordance with government direction. “The Australian Government recognises the significance of RAAF Base Williams Point Cook to service members, veterans and the community, and is committed to both preserving the site’s heritage, including the museum, and opening it up to the public,” the spokesperson said. “RAAF Base Williams Point Cook is included on the Commonwealth Heritage List and the National Heritage List, and is protected under the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (EPBC Act). “As a place included on the National Heritage List, it will be protected under the EPBC Act after sale.”