New redevelopment plans for one of Melbourne’s biggest public housing towers provide no guarantee of supplying public homes, as the government prepares to introduce hundreds of market-rate rentals.
asserted
government → provide → rentals
The state government briefed the City of Yarra on its plans for the tower at 139 Highett Street, Richmond, which currently has 220 public housing flats, on September 11.
asserted
which → brief → September
The number of apartments is set to almost quadruple to 800 as part of the major demolition and development project, according to the council’s briefing.
uncertain
number → set → briefing
The height of the development or how many buildings will be included is unknown.
asserted
buildings → include → development
Of the new apartments, 150 have been earmarked for social housing – an umbrella term that refers to public and community housing.
asserted
that → earmark → housing
Community housing differs from public housing in that properties are owned and managed by a not-for-profit company instead of the state.
asserted
properties → differ → company
The remaining 650 new homes are expected to operate under a build-to-rent model, an increasingly common format that often results in residents being charged a higher rate compared with median rents in the area.
asserted
residents → remain → area
An unspecified portion of these rentals will be classed as affordable, the briefing said.
asserted
briefing → class → rentals
Yarra Mayor Stephen Jolly said such a sharp transition away from public housing towards market-rate rentals would, in effect, lead to “the privatisation of that estate” and its surrounding community parkland.
asserted
transition → say → estate
“They’ve just gentrified the whole estate.
asserted
They → gentrifie → estate
There’s no way they can build 800 homes where 200 were without seeping onto the green open space,” Jolly said.
asserted
Jolly → ’ → space
“It’s horrific, really.
asserted
It → ’ → ?
I don’t know how it can be justified.”
asserted
it → know → ?
The Highett Street tower is around the corner from the North Richmond medically supervised injecting room and within the wider North Richmond public housing precinct, which falls between Victoria Street and Bridge Road.
asserted
which → supervise → Street
Homes Victoria staff told the council that home numbers across the precinct are expected to increase from 1000 to 3000.
asserted
numbers → tell → 3000
The Highett Street tower and a group of walk-up houses in and around Elizabeth Street fall within the next development stage.
asserted
tower → walk → stage
Redevelopment timeframes for the remaining four Elizabeth Street towers are not yet known.
asserted
timeframes → remain → towers
A state government spokesperson said decisions about the height, scale, mix or design of the Highett Street development were yet to be finalised.
asserted
decisions → say → development
They said demolition of the tower was expected to begin sometime next year.
asserted
demolition → say → tower
A separate application had been made for the construction of 187 new social homes at the nearby Elizabeth Street walk-ups, which are currently being demolished.
asserted
which → make → ups
“Homes Victoria continues to engage with residents, stakeholders and the City of Yarra on the future of the precinct, including open space and community facilities,” the spokesperson said.
asserted
spokesperson → continue → space
The Richmond rebuild is part of the state government’s controversial Big Housing Build, which was announced in 2020.
asserted
which → announce → 2020
Then-premier Daniel Andrews said at the time that the project would increase social housing supply by 10 per cent.
asserted
project → say → cent
The major construction works, which encompass all 44 of Melbourne’s high-rise public towers, have since attracted legal challenges and criticism from the United Nations.
asserted
which → encompass → Nations
The state ombudsman is investigating the relocation process faced by residents.
asserted
ombudsman → investigate → residents
There is also growing concern from tenants and advocates about whether the project will be able to fully replenish the state’s public housing stock.
asserted
project → be → stock
The total number of apartments will increase from 180 to 285, but only 50 of these have been earmarked as social homes.
asserted
50 → increase → homes
Greens MP for Richmond Gabrielle de Vietri said the Highett Street decision was another example of how the state government was “wiping out public housing” around Melbourne.
asserted
government → say → Melbourne
“As the local MP, I cannot stand by while Labor tears our community apart.
asserted
Labor → stand → community
I will fight this tooth and nail,” de Vietri said.
asserted
Vietri → fight → this
“Labor is clearly trying to hoodwink Victorians with this plan that’s been nothing more than a mass privatisation sham from day one.”
asserted
that → try → day
The Victorian Housing Register shows that close to 69,000 people are currently on the state’s waiting list for public and community housing.
asserted
people → show → housing
The figure includes new applications to the register and “transfer applications”, which represent public and community housing residents seeking to move due to a change in personal circumstances.
asserted
which → include → circumstances
Yarra City Council will hold an extraordinary meeting next Tuesday at which councillors will reiterate their opposition to the Highett Street tower’s demolition and push for a pause to the project until after the November state election.
asserted
councillors → hold → election
Jolly said the lack of consultation that had taken place with residents, the council and the wider community regarding the project was “just not good enough”.
“This hasn’t been well advertised.
asserted
This → say → project
We’ve just been lumbered with this disaster,” he said.
asserted
he → lumber → disaster
The Aporia
