Forces look at land sales Singapore team seeks willing sellers

AUSTRALIAN and Singaporean military representatives have recently visited three separate tracts of land in the vicinity of Townsville under a plan to buy more properties to accommodate troops.

The search for more land is part of a $ 2.25 billion Comprehensive Strategic Partnership ( CSP) between the two nations, announced in May last year, and includes jointly developing military training areas in Australia to enhance Singapore’s training for up to 14,000 troops each year.

Late last year, the partnership almost unravelled when the Federal Government revealed plans to compulsorily acquire grazing land surrounding existing military training areas near Townsville and Rockhampton.

The move sparked protests from landholders and led to a backdown in February from D e f e n c e Minster Marise Payne, who committed to acquire land only from willing sellers.

The Department of Defence has confirmed that, to date, no landholders from 23 properties adjoining the existing Townsville Field Training area earmarked for acquisition have sold.

Just two properties on the open market near the Shoalwater Bay Training Area have been available.

The initiative’s program manager Brigadier Tim Bayliss said Defence was continuing consultation with landholders near the Townsville and Shoalwater Bay Training Areas.

He said Defence was also assessing the feasibility of alternative sites suggested by the community near Townsville, including Pentland, Greenvale and Ravenswood.

“These sites involve willing sellers only,” he said. “This assessment has recently involved a team of Australian Defence Force and Singapore Armed Forces subject matter experts visiting each potential location to form views on suitability for military training.”

Brigadier Bayliss said Defence’s expected timeframe for construction was on track to start in 2019.

Herbert MP Cathy O’Toole said she had been meeting regularly with Singaporean High Commissioner Kwok Fook Seng and was confident the CSP would mean jobs and prosperity for Townsville.

“He is very impressed with Townsville and James Cook University and the tourism opportunities the city has to offer,” she said.

Ms O’Toole said she supported the decision to only acquire land from willing sellers.

“Singapore wants to come into a community where they are welcome and contribute, and to force people into things they don’t want to is not a good welcome,” she said.