Thursday, 19 March 2026

 Rachel WESTAWAY (Prahran) (14:51): (1586) My question is to the Minister for Housing and Building: why has the government failed to restore safety at the public housing complex at 49 Union Street in Windsor, despite repeated reports of fires, flooding and criminal activity? I have been contacted by deeply distressed residents living in this complex. The building was historically designated for elderly residents with medical conditions, yet it now appears to house frail elderly tenants alongside individuals struggling with drug addiction and engaging in persistent antisocial behaviour. The consequences of this change have been severe. One constituent recently made the heartbreaking decision to leave his apartment and return to homelessness because he felt safer sleeping on the streets than inside the building. An 88-year-old Holocaust survivor living in the complex has endured nine flooding incidents since moving into his unit, including several this year alone. These floods were reportedly triggered by fires in a unit above his apartment. He has described dirty, foul-smelling water pouring into his home, and has had to place containers throughout his unit to manage the damage. Despite being – (Time expired)