00:03Cleaning the Douglas Boston Bomber at the RAF Base Point Cook Museum is a ritual these
00:08volunteers don't ever take for granted.
00:11Beautiful.
00:12Yep.
00:13It may not sound very salubrious being in a clean team, but it really is pretty special.
00:17It's nice to be able to physically touch it and be part of it.
00:21The Royal Australian Air Force was founded at Point Cook more than a century ago.
00:26The base is on the National Heritage List, but it will soon be sold as part of a national
00:32audit of Defence Land.
00:33The government says the upkeep is costing millions and it's no longer of use to a modern
00:39military.
00:40Aviation activists want it kept in public hands, not sold to a private investor.
00:45They'll sell it off.
00:46They'll take their money off and leave the community with the remaining Mets.
00:51The airbase sits just outside Melbourne's urban growth boundary, which means it can't
00:56currently be developed.
00:57But the Property Council says it would support the opportunity to unlock the land for housing.
01:03The Local Council says rezoning would be dangerous.
01:07It's simply not enough to say that we will protect these sites on a planning document.
01:11Who's accountable for them?
01:13Who invests in them?
01:14And who ultimately ensures that the maintenance and upkeep occurs?
01:17The government says the future use of the base will depend on who's interested in buying
01:22it.
01:22But it says there is the potential for more areas that are currently off limits, like the
01:27chapel, to become accessible to the public.
01:30Opponents are sceptical, saying roads around the area are already chronically congested.
01:36Yes, opening up the site will make it more accessible.
01:39How you get into the site is not something the Department of Defence have bothered to comment
01:44on.
01:44The Federal Government has not provided a timeline for the sale and says it's obligated to protect
01:50heritage.
01:50Tag.
01:51...
01:51...
01:54...
01:55...
01:55...
Comments