RAAF Williams

RAAF Williams comprises the two bases of Point Cook and Laverton. Both bases previously existed as separate RAAF Bases (RAAF Base Point Cook and RAAF Base Laverton) until 1999 when they were amalgamated to form RAAF Williams.

RAAF Williams Point Cook Base

Point Cook was purchased by the government in 1912 with the vision to form what would become the Australian Flying Corps. Due to the success of the AFC in the First World War, the AFC became a separate service, the Royal Australian Air Force. Point Cook remained the RAAF's only base until 1925 when RAAF Base Richmond and RAAF Base Laverton were built.

Point Cook is considered the birthplace and the spiritual home of the RAAF. It contains a memorial parade ground which was built in the 1920s, a site which was previously used by the AFC for drill training. Point Cook still has an operating airfield, but military operations are generally restricted to the Museum based there. The airfield is used by a number of General Aviation users, although it is still classified as a military aerodrome. It is the longest continuously operating military aerodrome in the world.

RAAF Williams Point Cook base is the home of the RAAF College including Officers Training School (OTS) and the RAAF Museum. All administrative functions of the base is located at the Laverton base, and there is a single mess service (Officers Mess Annexe) which provides a meal service to all personnel, and a bar service to OTS students only. OTS is due to relocate to RAAF Base East Sale within the next five years, at which time Point Cook is expected to be decommissioned as a RAAF Base.

Flora and Fauna at RAAF Williams Laverton Base

The decommissioned airbase contains nationally significant grasslands and wetland vegetation. Some known nationally threatened species include Plains Rice-flower, Large-fruit Groundsel and Striped Legless Lizards. This site is actually the only place in the world which contains a mutli-age stand of the nationally endangered plant Plains Rice-flower.

The full extent and population of nationally threatened grasslands and species is not fully known and documented. Recently (1 March 2007) the site has been approved for development with a planning scheme amendment in Wyndham City Council. The Minister for Planning approved the rezoning, as seen on the Department of Sustainability and Environment's webite[1]. There was no Environmental Effects Statement (EES) or similar detailed flora and fauna investigation undertaken for the whole site, so the planning decisions are based on incomplete data. It is the Victorian State government’s job to provide appropriate planning controls for sustainable development where there is highly significant flora and fauna.

60–80ha of nationally significant grassland is proposed to be destroyed if no more grasslands are protected. This is roughly 20-30% of the 275ha site. The three conservation reserves proposed will be surrounded by houses, roads and rail without connection to each other. These three reserves make up 55 ha, which may seem substantial, but when the fragmentation and edge effects of the surrounding development is considered, these patches aren't nearly as viable as they could be.

The State Government have contradicted their own native vegetation policy (Native Vegetation Managment Framework[2]), which aims to avoid clearance of very high conservation significance vegetation. Further, the federal government’s biodiversity legislation (EPBC Act 1999) appears not to have been considered to deal with all the nationally endangered species outside of reserves. Large numbers of nationally endangered plants exist outside the reserves. It has been suggested that the best approach to managing these species is to dig them up (translocate) and put them into reserved area. This has been trailed with Plains Rice-flower, but appears to be largely unsuccessful method for the conservation of a threatened species in the long-term. In addition, translocation is a labour-intensive exercise which is thought to be a last resort to conserving endangered species (Guidelines for the Translocation of Threatened Plants in Australia - Australian Network for Plant Conservation[3]).

Current proposals to destroy half to three quarters of the grasslands present on the site are the machinations of yesteryear. The Native Vegetation Framework should be applied to the development proposals on the site to ensure the State's policy is effective in protecting highly significant grasslands, whilst not stopping development. One option to resolve the on-going development vs. conservation battles would be to incorporate most grassland patches whilst compromising somewhat on the huge area for development. This would create a sustainable outcome fitting to the State Government's Our Environment, Our Future.

RAAF Williams Laverton Base

Laverton is the third oldest RAAF base, being built at the same time as RAAF Base Richmond, which was opened slightly before Laverton. Laverton's airfield and runway was decommissioned in the early 1990's. In early 2007 the Victorian State Government gave approval for the land that was formally the Laverton airfield & runway to be developed into the newly proposed suburb of Williams Landing.

Williams Landing will be developed into a transit-based, major activity centre and employment node. As well as being a major activity centre & employment node, there will also be four residential neighbourhoods each with their own distinctive character. Construction of Williams Landing is due to commence in late 2007 & is due to be completed by 2025.

Laverton is the home of Headquarters Training Command. It also contains all the administrative functions of RAAF Williams. Other units at Laverton are the ADF School of Languages, Defence International Training Centre (DITC), Director General Technical Airworthiness, 21 (City of Melbourne) Squadron (RAAF Active Reserve) and a number of smaller sub-units. It also hosts an element of 8/7 Royal Victoria Regiment, Australian Army Reserve.

When Point Cook is decommissioned Laverton will revert to a single base, although it is unknown if it will adopt the name RAAF Base Williams or revert to RAAF Base Laverton. There is also the possibility it too may be decommissioned and become a Defence Establishment.

Units

Laverton

LAVERTON

POINT COOK