Assistant Minister for Defence - Seaward Village

Assistant Minister for Defence, Darren Chester, has released the terms of reference for a review of the proposed redevelopment of Seaward Village.

The review, commissioned by the Australian Government and to be conducted by Lieutenant General Mark Evans, will evaluate the development proposal and advise on any appropriate alternatives.

“The review will consider a range of issues including the relative merit of refurbishment versus redevelopment, security, social impact and any need for future restrictions on the land,” Mr Chester said.

“LTGEN Evans has indicated that he will be seeking to engage with stakeholders in coming weeks.

“This review will assist the Government in ensuring all options have been considered in order to provide long term housing at the agreed standard to members of the Australian Defence Force.”

Further information will be provided to stakeholders on how to make a submission.

The review will provide a written report to the Government by February 29, 2016.

Media note:

Terms of Reference for the Seaward Village review can be found below.

Media contacts: 

Brie Colley (Mr Chester’s office) (02) 6277 4029

Defence Media (02) 6127 1999

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Review of Proposed Redevelopment of Seaward Village

Terms of Reference

Defence provides housing assistance to support capability by ensuring that ADF members and their families have access to housing that meets or exceeds community standards in reasonable proximity to the member’s place of duty. Housing assistance also compensates for the housing detriment that arises from the requirement for ADF members to frequently relocate, by providing a subsidy to reduce the overall cost of house rental to members and to offset differences between high and low cost locations.

The primary form of housing assistance provided to members with dependants is in the form of a Service Residence, formerly known as a Married Quarter, managed by Defence Housing Australia (DHA). If a Service Residence is unavailable, a member may receive Rent Allowance to find accommodation of similar value in the private rental market.

Seaward Village is an estate of 153 Service Residences adjoining Campbell Barracks in the Perth suburb of Swanbourne. The Village houses approximately 25% of the members of the SASR and their families along with a number of families from other Army and Joint units in the Perth area.

Seaward Village is owned by DHA, but subject to a Deed of Covenant that prevents DHA from selling of leasing any of the land to private citizens without the agreement of Defence. Roads and parks within Seaward Village are owned and maintained by local and State authorities.

The residences in Seaward Village were constructed in 1991. Many are now not compliant with Defence standards and would require significant work to bring up to standard. As a result, Defence and DHA have agreed in principle to redevelop the village to provide an increased amount of contemporary housing with a longer lifespan, and to also remediate ageing civil infrastructure within the Village. The current proposal seeks to substantially fund the redevelopment through the sale of not more than 25 per cent of the Village.

The Government has commissioned this Review to evaluate the present proposal for redevelopment and its effectiveness in delivering quality, long-term and sustainable housing for ADF members and their families, and to advise if there are any alternative options that may deliver a similar or superior outcome.

The Review is to assess the existing redevelopment proposal and feasible alternative options regarding the redevelopment of Seaward Village to provide a long-term housing solution for Campbell Barracks and other nearby Defence establishments. Regard should be given to:

1. the relative merit of a refurbishment program versus redevelopment.
2. Security – the impact of the proposed development plan on the security of Campbell Barracks and on the personal security of the residents.
3. Social Impact.
4. requirement for a covenant to restrict future transactions in the land.

The Review may take submissions from (but not limited to) Defence, DHA, the State Government, the local Council, the SAS Association, Seaward Village residents, the Friends of Allen Park, the neighbouring civilian community and other parties that the Review considers to have a direct and legitimate interest in the redevelopment proposal. The Review may further consult with the same where necessary to clarify matters covered by a submission, or to otherwise progress the Review.

The Review is to provide a written report to the Government no later than 29 February 2016