Wednesday, 3 June 2026

 Anasina GRAY-BARBERIO (Northern Metropolitan) (17:38): I rise to make a statement in response to the Labor government’s response to the Legal and Social Committee’s inquiry into the redevelopment of Melbourne’s public housing towers. During this inquiry the committee heard from a range of witnesses: community legal centres, housing experts, human rights experts, peak bodies, advocacy groups and, most importantly, the public housing residents. The undeniable testimonies made it clear: pressing ahead with demolition and privatising public housing towers is a disastrous plan that this government should urgently reconsider. Instead, the government has driven mass community dislocation, with distressed residents relocated to properties purchased or leased from the private market, and some with little to no notice and isolated away from their communities. Let us not forget that these are the very same communities that were forced into hard lockdown during COVID-19 enforced by a heavy police presence, with no warning and treated like a bloody crime scene.

The committee made 21 recommendations based on overwhelming evidence from the stakeholders, including those mentioned earlier. Instead of supporting these important recommendations and making every effort to do what is right, this government chose to support only four of these recommendations – abysmal but unsurprising from a government that now prioritises the interests of property developers over the people of the state. They have rejected recommendations 4, 5, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11 and 13 – recommendations that speak to the transparency, credibility and accountability of decisions to ultimately demolish these public housing towers and not keep them in public hands.

Instead this government has refused to guarantee that public land will remain in public hands. They could not say whether any public housing will be built in future demolitions and refused to produce case-by-case evidence justifying demolition over retrofitting. This government, in their arrogance and disrespect for the 10,000 people that have called the Victorian public housing towers home, have completely abandoned them and taken them for a ride. This Labor government have abandoned their values for the working class. This is a government that could not care less about telling the truth to everyday Victorians, instead turning its back on residents and everyone who was brave enough to give evidence in this inquiry. This is a Labor government that now works for the ultrawealthy, including the property investors. It is a dark day for public housing and for the people of Victoria. What a shameful government this is.