2024-10-15
A groundbreaking new report reveals that retrofitting rather than demolishing the public housing towers at the Flemington estate would save the government nearly $364 million.
Since the former Premier announced the demolition of all 44 public housing towers across Victoria, the Victorian Greens have been pursuing Labor relentlessly to reveal more about what justification exists for the destruction and privatisation of public housing.
The Victorian Labor government has consistently said that refurbishment and repairs are too expensive, despite not providing a shred of evidence to back up these claims, denying documents to the courts, parliament and under FOI.
This new study starkly contrasts what Labor has been saying and reveals that living conditions can be improved for residents and more housing can be built at the sites, with less financial investment from the government than if they were to push ahead with their current plan to demolish and privatise.
The study led by the non-for-profit design and research practice OFFICE proposes a way to refurbish existing and infill new social housing at the Flemington Estate without displacing residents or demolishing buildings.
The report forecasts overall savings would be $363,608,253 which could be reinvested into other public housing maintenance and buildings.
The report also reveals that the 'retain, repair and reinvest’ approach which would provide a 55% reduction of global warming potential compared to demolition, and has also looked at the severe social impacts and psychological trauma of displacing and relocating residents.
Quotes attributable to the Victorian Greens spokesperson for Public and Affordable Housing, Samantha Ratnam:
“It was always only a matter of time until Labor’s flimsy housing plan would start to fall apart”
For over a year Labor has failed to provide a single shred of evidence to justify demolishing public housing and handing it over to private developers. Now we know that their claims that the towers couldn’t be upgraded is utterly baseless.
This report makes it clear - the towers don’t need to be destroyed. Labor could actually save millions of dollars and build more public housing by upgrading the estates, but they’re choosing not to.
We’re in the middle of a housing crisis with more than 120,000 people on the public housing waitlist. We need to be building more public housing, not tearing it down.
Not only has Labor lost credibility on solving the housing crisis, we are also beginning to see Labor deliberately use secrecy and poor transparency to obstruct Victorians from seeing the truth that Labor cares more about its property developer mates than making sure people have a roof over their head.”