Premier Daniel Andrews dropped a big one before resigning in 2023. This ruling has sparked some passionate arguments on both sides of the issue. Perhaps most concerning of all, it’s a death sentence to the roughly 10,000 Victorians who live in those towers. The government aims to rebuild these structures by 2051, but critics question the necessity and implications of this ambitious plan.
Harriet Shing, the Victorian Housing Minister, has gone in to bat for the decision, saying that the towers are overdue for replacement. She argues that the majority of the buildings are unlivable by today’s standards. “What I would say is that the sort of buildings referred to by that person constructed in the 19th century were not 26 stories tall,” Shing noted, indicating a need for modernization.
Fears have arisen about where displaced residents will end up. Katelyn Butterss, CEO of the Victorian Public Tenants Association, expressed her worry. She fears the new social housing won’t be more accommodating to people living in today’s towers. She championed the plight of workers and residents in North Melbourne and Flemington. They are especially concerned about how many new homes will be able to hold bigger families.
“We have heard from some renters that they are quite happy and we’ve heard from some others that they just don’t meet their needs at all, that the layouts aren’t culturally sensitive for them and that they’re struggling to fit their furniture in the homes.” – Katelyn Butterss
Louisa Bassini is the head of the Housing and Tenancy team at Inner Melbourne Community Legal Centre. She emphasized the legal ramifications of this ruling. She said that more than 800 tenant households are represented in a class action against Homes Victoria. Bassini pointed out that many residents are unaware that even if they return to public housing, their homes may not be available.
“They are residents of the three towers that are the first occupied towers that are set to be demolished. But we think that the outcome of this decision has ramifications for residents of all of the towers across Melbourne.” – Louisa Bassini
Shing’s goal is to send a message to nervous stakeholders that they can expect constant communication and consultation as the redevelopment moves forward. “We will keep working with residents and with the community to provide them with accurate information,” she said.
Gabrielle de Vietri, spokesperson on housing for the Victorian Greens, has been quite public in her denunciation of the demolition plan. She emphasizes that her team has been out in the field—directly interacting with public housing residents in Richmond—to listen to their concerns and criticisms. De Vietri told us that local residents were caught off guard by the news. They barely got a letter on the actual day that it was released to the public!
“All they had heard was that they had received a letter under their door on the day that Dan Andrews made this announcement saying, we’re going to demolish your home.” – Gabrielle de Vietri
De Vietri is calling for increased transparency. She urges more opportunities for the public to weigh in before moving forward with such sweeping changes. She has promised that the Greens will stay on to fight. They passionately do not want to be the defenders of the terrible plan they believe is being created.
Critics have further pointed out that the current towers are deteriorating. Shing responded to these assertions by arguing that it is possible that the media reports about their health have been inaccurate. She claimed that while some residents have reported issues such as noise and temperature extremes, “Well, anybody who’s ever been in the towers or who calls the towers home will know that they’re really noisy. They’re cold in the winter, they’re hot in the summer,” she said. Retrofitting can still be a good option.
“It’s possible to bring buildings up to standard to different degrees, certainly to the point that they’re fit for habitation and fit for ongoing use into the future…” – Louisa Bassini
That demolition and reconstruction work doesn’t yet have a timeline, but targets an overall end date of 2051. Housing Minister Shing envisions a future where Melbourne can accommodate its growing population while providing diverse housing options for all residents.
“We will keep working to make sure that people have access to housing that meets their needs and we will keep working to make sure also that as the city grows and we head to a city the size of London, by the 2050s, we are providing a range of housing options for private renters, for people in social housing, for people looking to buy their own home and for people wanting to stay closer to where they grew up.” – Harriet Shing
Different stakeholders are split on whether tearing down these historic structures is necessary to keep the region moving forward, or a needless disruption to the lives of thousands of people. Legal challenges are still ongoing, and community resistance is intensifying. It is hard to tell how this highly political issue will be long-term demonstrated in Melbourne’s housing environment.
