Fairbairn Golf Club fights Defence sell-off with MP support and 4,100 petition
Fairbairn Golf Club faces sale by the Commonwealth. The club signed a new five-year lease just three months ago.
Fairbairn Golf Club in Canberra faces an uncertain future. The Commonwealth is selling 68 Defence-owned properties.
The club's 65-hectare course is included. The shock is sharp, since the club signed a fresh five-year lease only in July 2026.
Club president Brian Depree has met nearly all ACT MPs and Senators seeking support. All showed sympathy.
A public petition has gathered over 4,100 signatures. The land faces real obstacles.
PFAS contamination would cost $20 million to clean up. The course sits next to Canberra Airport and a live-firing Defence range.
It serves as green space between housing and military operations. Depree has offered six solutions.
One is selling to a third party that keeps the club operating. Another is transferring the land to the ACT Government or the club itself.
- 65 hectares
- Course size
- 68
- Defence properties for sale
- 4,100+
- Petition signatures
- $20 million
- PFAS cleanup cost
Why it mattersIf Canberra loses Fairbairn, about 40,000 rounds of golf played there each year have nowhere else to go. A valued community space would disappear into property redevelopment.
AustraliaThe sale threatens a major recreational facility in the ACT capital and signals the Commonwealth's willingness to divest Defence properties regardless of community ties or recent lease commitments.
✓ Claims checked against the source. checked 1 h ago
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