Defence personnel at Sydney's historic Victoria Barracks are preparing for a Christmas eviction as NSW's premier urges the sale to be reversed. Defence personnel stationed at the historic Victoria Barracks in Sydney have begun packing up ahead of a forced Christmas-period eviction, as the federal government presses ahead with a sale of the site. NSW Premier Chris Minns has called the planned sale a "big missed opportunity," urging Canberra to reverse course before the handover is finalised.

The barracks, one of the oldest continuously occupied military sites in the country, sit on prime inner-Sydney land that has attracted strong commercial interest. Minns argues the heritage site could instead be repurposed for public or community use rather than sold off to private developers during a tight housing and affordability debate.

The federal government has defended the sale as part of a broader push to consolidate defence real estate and raise revenue, but the timing of the eviction, during the holiday season, has drawn criticism from state politicians and veterans' groups who say affected personnel deserve more notice and support.