Past speeches reveal Albanese fought to save Sydney Harbour land Defence will sell

HMAS Penguin, on Sydney Harbour's lower north shore, was once described by Mr Albanese as "a jewel for the entire country". (Australian Defence Force)

Parliamentary speeches from 2021 reveal Prime Minister Anthony Albanese was opposed to selling Defence-owned land on Sydney Harbour.

Some of the land at HMAS Penguin will go on the market as part of the Defence Department's plans to sell dozens of military assets across the country.

Mr Albanese has been accused of contradicting his own warnings as calls grow for the site to remain in public hands.

Land once described by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese as belonging "to the whole nation" is now at risk of leaving public ownership as his government prepares to sell off prime Defence Department real estate around the country.

"That would, I think, be a very retrograde step because, if we get it wrong once, it disappears forever," the PM said in a 2021 parliamentary speech.

In opposition, Mr Albanese described Sydney Harbour as "a jewel for the entire country", warning of the privatisation of its "beautiful assets", including active and former naval sites.

Now some of that land will soon go on the market as part of the government's plan to sell dozens of military sites in a move criticised by Independent MP Zali Steggall as "a direct contradiction" of Mr Albanese's statements.

Defence says about 11 hectares of the HMAS Penguin site will be sold. (Department of Defence)

HMAS Penguin is among the most high-profile and contentious sites listed for divestment as the Australian Defence Force (ADF) tries to claw back funds to fill critical capability gaps and redirect investment for infrastructure supporting the AUKUS program.

The 16-hectare site on Middle Head in Sydney Harbour is still an operational naval base containing heritage-listed buildings and six hectares of pristine Sydney red gum forest.

Since Defence Minister Richard Marles announced the divestment plan in February, support has been growing for HMAS Penguin to be protected from developers before it becomes another "millionaire's row".

Veterans, housing, heritage and community organisations have been packing into Save HMAS Penguin public meetings in recent weeks.

And local MPs and councils have voiced concerns that, once lost, the land "cannot realistically be recovered".

In a 2021 parliamentary speech, Mr Albanese warned against governments selling land surrounding Sydney Harbour.

Opposition is growing to the federal government's plan to sell scores of defence properties to reduce maintenance and repair costs, as locals fight back.

"When