The Australian Defence Department has refused to disclose conflict of interest declarations made by consultants hired to assess military sites for potential sale in a $3 billion property sell-off.

Consultants Jan Mason and Jim Miller were engaged via their private firms in August 2023 to conduct an 'enterprise-wide defence estate audit', submitting their report in December 2023.The government identified 68 sites, including Victoria Barracks in Sydney and RAAF Williams in Melbourne, as potential candidates for sale.Despite multiple freedom of information requests by Crikey and the Senate's authority, the documents remain classified.

The refusal to release these declarations has sparked concerns about transparency and potential conflicts of interest, with critics arguing the information is crucial for public accountability.The Defence Department's stance highlights ongoing tensions between government secrecy and media scrutiny in major infrastructure decisions.