Today\u2019s public housing inquiry heard devastating evidence that the Allan Labor Government\u2019s tower demolition plan is built on coercive relocations, ignored alternatives, and a secretive privatisation model.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
From the first witnesses, the message was clear – the relocation process is traumatising, unaccountable, and deeply harmful. Residents have been pressured to leave with little or no support – some told to \u201cpick a home\u201d off realestate.com.au, others given verbal ultimatums. Advocates described elderly tenants in tears and migrant residents unable to access critical information.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The Law Institute of Victoria\u2019s Dr Bill Swannie and former Supreme Court Justice Kevin Bell AO KC condemned the project as a breach of international law, labelling this as \u201cforced displacement backed by eviction,\u201d and confirmed he will be making a complaint to the United Nations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Witnesses also exposed the disturbing lack of transparency surrounding the decision to demolish. No documents have been released showing that refurbishment was ever properly assessed, despite repeated government claims that the towers are \u201cbeyond repair\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Expert architects from OFFICE told the inquiry that refurbishment is not only viable, but it would also save $354 million, deliver more modern, environmentally sound homes, and avoid the devastating health and social harm of relocation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Instead, the Labor Government is pressing ahead with the Ground Lease Model (GLM) – a delivery model that was repeatedly discredited by expert witnesses today, being laid bare as a political fix designed to give the illusion of retaining public land while actually providing no public housing and handing control of a public asset to private consortiums.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Researchers from RMIT slammed the model\u2019s total lack of transparency, describing it as a \u201cblack box\u201d of tax subsidies and responsibility shifting, shielded from Freedom of Information laws, with no public oversight. They told the inquiry there is no evidence the model is effective, that the risks are unknown, and that it’s \u201cby design\u201d and that similar models have already been banned or abandoned in the UK following cost blowouts, governance failures, and tenant harm.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The inquiry heard that the Ground Lease Model is just an investment opportunity for superannuation funds that will leave taxpayers footing the bill, paying billions in subsidies and government payments required to prop it up from day one.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Homes Victoria and the Housing Minister will be fronting the inquiry that was secured by the Greens tomorrow.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Victorian Greens spokesperson for Public and Affordable Housing, Gabrielle de Vietri:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere was never any justification for Labor\u2019s plan that\u2019s well and truly falling apart during this inquiry which has heard repeated, damning evidence of coercion and secrecy.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cIt\u2019s profoundly unsettling watching just how little thought went into this reckless plan, given the devastating impact it will have on people\u2019s lives and the housing crisis.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cThere\u2019s more evidence being presented in this inquiry than Labor has ever managed to provide and now it\u2019s time for Labor to reckon with the fact that this plan cannot be defended, and no one\u2019s defending it, except those who are going to profit from it.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Today\u2019s public housing inquiry heard devastating evidence that the Allan Labor Government\u2019s tower demolition plan is built on coercive relocations, ignored alternatives, and a secretive privatisation model. From the first witnesses, the message was clear – the relocation process is traumatising, unaccountable, and deeply harmful. Residents have been pressured to leave with little or no … Continue reading “\u201cCOERCION AND SECRECY\u201d: DAMNING EVIDENCE PILES UP AHEAD OF LABOR GOVERNMENT APPEARANCE AT PUBLIC HOUSING INQUIRY”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-34195","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-aussie"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34195","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=34195"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34195\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34196,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/34195\/revisions\/34196"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=34195"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=34195"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.16news.com.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=34195"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}