A parliamentary inquiry has today delivered scathing findings on the Allan Labor Government's plan to demolish and privatise Melbourne's 44 public housing towers and has called for all demolition works to be halted immediately.
The final report, which was tabled in Parliament today, paints a damning picture of a Labor Government pushing ahead with a multi-billion-dollar mass demolition and privatisation of public housing, while withholding evidence, sidelining experts, and placing public housing residents under immense stress and uncertainty.
The inquiry repeatedly heard of Labor's refusal to produce key documents to justify the decision to demolish the 44 public housing towers including feasibility studies and cost-benefit-analysis comparing demolition to retrofitting or refurbishment.
The report makes several recommendations including that the claim of 'executive privilege' - a mechanism that lets the Labor Government block documents from public release - over more than 140 different documents relating to the demolition be assessed by an independent legal arbiter for legitimacy, and that assessments for each individual tower be released.
The report also reflects the serious concerns about residents' human rights that were raised throughout the inquiry - where evidence of coercion, pressure and confusing communication during relocations were all exposed and recommends independent of oversight for any future relocations and that the wellbeing of residents be prioritised.
The inquiry also called out Labor's misleading use of the term "social housing" to obscure the shift from public housing to privately run community housing. It had strong findings in support of retaining and refurbishing or retrofitting public housing, rather than privatising homes under the guise of redevelopment.
As stated by the Victorian Greens housing spokesperson, Gabrielle de Vietri:
"This is a damning report for Labor. It lays bare that their mass demolition and privatisation of public housing has no basis whatsoever, and that it must be halted immediately."
"Residents told the inquiry they felt pressured, ignored and abandoned, and the report confirms that Labor's misleading, coercive and at times downright cruel relocation processes have undermined their dignity and their basic human rights."
"This report leaves Labor totally exposed. In a housing crisis, choosing to demolish and privatise public housing is indefensible.
"Labor's demolition plan benefits developers and no one else, handing over prime public land while putting public housing residents last. The recommendations are clear and urgent: halt the demolitions now and commit to building more public housing on public land, not wiping it off the map."
