The Federal Government is planning a total sale and divestment of Timor Barracks in Dundas, NSW, as part of its Defence Estate Audit property offloading .  While the government chases a short-sighted financial "sugar hit," this decision will systematically dismantle a critical national training command, frontline emergency logistics, and a decades-old grassroots youth development asset in Sydney’s northwest.

Timor Barracks is the secure, purpose-built home to major national command elements, active Army Reservists, and nearly 200 youth cadets:
Dismantling a Regional Brigade Headquarters: Timor Barracks is the official national Headquarters of the 8th Brigade (HQ 8 Bde). This vital formation is the administrative engine room responsible for training and managing Army Reserve soldiers and Officer Cadets across the entire country.

Decimating Active Reserve Logistics: The site explicitly houses the 8th Operational Support Unit (8 OSU) and critical transport detachments of the 5th Combat Service Support Battalion (5 CSSB). These frontline units rely on this specific 3.1-hectare urban footprint for heavy vehicles, logistics staging, and regional emergency response (such as local flood and bushfire assistance).

Massive Youth Dislocation: Home to 322 (City of Ryde) Squadron Air Force Cadets (105 cadets/15 staff), 204 Army Cadet Unit (63 cadets/10 staff—the nation's oldest community unit founded in 1941), and the 22 Army Cadet Battalion Regional Headquarters.  Due to massive local demand, 322 Sqn recently had to turn away 256 local youth applicants strictly due to physical space constraints.

The Disruption:

Defence plans suggest shifting these vital command structures, heavy vehicle convoys, and youth units to distant major hubs like Holsworthy Barracks (nearly 30km away) or entering commercial leases at unfortified community halls and local schools. This forces volunteer staff into the absurd, unacceptable reality of conducting youth drill and military equipment storage on unsecured public sporting ovals.

Furthermore, forcing Timor Barracks units to co-locate with personnel who are also being evicted from nearby Lancer Barracks in Parramatta will completely overwhelm receiving facilities. This fails the government's basic duty of care, damages local ADF retention during a national defence recruitment crisis, and trades permanent public land for ongoing commercial rental overheads.

We demand that the Federal Government and the Minister for Defence: 

• Halt the proposed sale and total divestment of Timor Barracks (Dundas, NSW).
• Guarantee the long-term tenure of HQ 8th Brigade, 8 OSU, 5 CSSB, 322 Squadron AAFC, and 204 ACU at this secure installation.
• Prioritize national security capability, emergency readiness, and youth safety over short-sighted property development profits.