Perth could gain up to 4,000 new homes if Irwin Barracks in Karrakatta is rezoned for residential use, after the federal government moved to offload 67 surplus Defence sites nationally.
The West Australian reports the 62-hectare Army base, which sits between Shenton Park, Nedlands and Mount Claremont, is one of two Perth sites in the program. Leeuwin Barracks in East Fremantle is the other. The national sell-off is expected to raise around $3 billion gross; net proceeds will be roughly $1.8 billion after about $1.2 billion in administrative and relocation costs, with SBS News confirming all net returns flow back into the defence budget.
Defence Minister Richard Marles said the sell-off made sense given how much government land sat idle. “Defence, as one of the largest owners of property in the country, had a very significant estate, much of which was not being used,” he said. The audit identifying the sites was commissioned in 2023 and found 68 properties with little-to-no operational use that were expensive to maintain. Of the 67 flagged sites, 64 are yet to be fully or partly sold. Irwin Barracks has been an active Army base since 5 December 1948 and is currently garrisoned by the 13th Brigade.
REIWA president Suzanne Brown welcomed the extra supply, describing the move as delivering “some much-needed land in Perth’s supply-challenged market”, but cautioned against expecting quick results. The surrounding suburbs aren’t cheap: median house prices in Shenton Park, Nedlands and Mount Claremont all sit above $2 million, and in East Fremantle near Leeuwin Barracks the median is $2.08 million. REIWA has called for a mix of dwelling types including social and affordable housing, rather than predominantly premium product.
For tradies in Perth’s western suburbs, the pipeline implications are real. If the 4,000-dwelling figure is realised at Irwin Barracks alone, the site would need years of earthworks, civil infrastructure, framing, and fit-out work across one of the city’s most land-constrained corridors. Don’t expect shovels in the ground any time soon, though. Heritage considerations for a site dating to 1948, rezoning processes, and development approvals all add lead time. The Canberra Times, reporting on the national program, notes sites like these typically carry a long lag from announcement to construction.
Tradies eyeing the pipeline should watch for rezoning announcements from the WA government and any expressions of interest from developers, those will give the clearest signal on when work actually flows. Anyone pricing up potential granny flat or infill work in the wider area can get a sense of current build costs in our cost to build a granny flat in Australia guide.
Frequently asked questions
When will construction start at Irwin Barracks?
No construction timeline has been announced. Heritage considerations, rezoning processes, and development approvals all add lead time, and the Canberra Times notes sites like these typically carry a long lag from announcement to construction activity.
Will any homes at Irwin Barracks be affordable or social housing?
REIWA has called for a mix of dwelling types including social and affordable housing rather than predominantly premium product, but no commitment on housing mix has been confirmed. Median prices in the surrounding suburbs all exceed $2 million.
How much will the national Defence land sell-off raise?
The program is expected to raise around $3 billion gross. After roughly $1.2 billion in administrative and relocation costs, net proceeds will be approximately $1.8 billion, all of which returns to the defence budget.
Sourced from The West Australian, SBS News, The Canberra Times, Real Estate Institute of Western Australia (REIWA), Australian Department of Defence. Original article.
