The Sydney Harbour Federation Trust is an Australian Government agency within the portfolio of the Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water. The Harbour Trust was formally established by the Australian Government in 2001 to protect Commonwealth lands, including former Defence sites, and return them to the people of Australia. Initially, the Harbour Trust was due to cease operating in 2033 in accordance with the Act.In June 2021, however, the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Amendment Act 2021 received royal assent and commenced. This established the Harbour Trust as an ongoing entity, with life beyond 2033, and empowered it to protect the sites that had been entrusted to it in perpetuity. During its passage through Parliament, the Sydney Harbour Federation Trust Amendment Act 2021 – and the importance of the Harbour Trust’s protected places – had received multi-partisan support.