Two independent reports refute Victorian Labor鈥檚 position that knocking and down and rebuilding 44 public housing towers across Naarm/Melbourne is the best option to achieve a mix of private, social and affordable housing.
Nigel Bertram, architect and Professor of Architecture at Monash University, and Simon Robinson, from the not-for-profit architecture and research firm OFFICE, conducted in-depth studies of the towers. Both concluded that they could be retrofitted, and it would be considerably cheaper than knocking them down and rebuilding.
Their proposal would also take into account residents鈥 health and wellbeing, and community connections. Less disruption would allow them to return to their homes after the work had concluded.
鈥淭he government聽has never released a public document聽showing that it鈥檚 unfeasible to refurbish these towers. Our study found that, structurally, it鈥檚 possible and cheaper to do so,鈥 Robinson told 91自拍论坛.
He said the demolition and rebuild would force residents to relocate, which would have 鈥渉uge social and health implications for vulnerable tenants鈥.
鈥淥ur study shows that this relocation can be avoided by building new dwellings in and between the towers prior to refurbishment.鈥澛
Robinson said retaining and reusing existing structures 鈥渟aves energy鈥 and, ultimately, reduces greenhouse gas emissions.
鈥淎cross 44 buildings, this could also save around $1.5 billion in construction costs,鈥 Bertram told GL.
They found 鈥渃onsiderable savings鈥 could be made in capital costs (25鈥30%), embodied carbon (34鈥36%) and construction time (15鈥20%) through retrofitting, compared with constructing an equivalent new building.
鈥淪imilar post-war housing precincts overseas have been updated and redeveloped in a more careful, considered way,鈥 Bertram said. 鈥淩esidents have even been able to聽聽while improvements are made.鈥
Despite Labor鈥檚 demolition plan announcement more than a year ago, it has not detailed costs for the rebuilding. Meanwhile, it signed a $100 million contract with John Holland to knock down the first five towers in Carlton, Flemington and North Melbourne.
John Holland is due to start preparations to demolish Elgin Towers in Carlton next week, with the demolition slated to be completed mid-year.
Inner Melbourne Community Legal service (IMCL) is acting for 479 households in a class action against the first three towers in North Melbourne and Flemington slated for demolition.
IMCL argues that Labor has failed to consider the tenants鈥 human rights.
The trial is scheduled for February 27 and 28, following the Supreme Court鈥檚 ruling on February 10 to grant Homes Victoria 鈥減ublic interest immunity鈥.
This means Homes Victoria will not have to produce key documents that may shed light on reasons behind the government鈥檚聽.
鈥淭his is the third alternative redevelopment project that Labor has refused to consider to refurbish the old estates,鈥 tenant and member of the Save Public Housing Collective Kerrie Byrne told GL.
鈥淭hese designs would save the government hundreds of millions of dollars, while still creating the desired housing 鈥榠nfill鈥.
鈥淭hey are far less disruptive for tenants and less environmentally harmful. For a start you wouldn鈥檛 have endless fleets of trucks carrying demolition rubble destined for landfill,鈥 Byrne said.
鈥淎s there will only be a 10% increase in housing for low-income tenants, with the rest allocated to market-priced housing, this project is not a solution for the 60,000 households languishing on the waiting list, or for the 30,000 homeless Victorians.
鈥淩ather, as these estates all sit on prime inner-city land, it will create a massive windfall for property developers: they will be the winners, while thousands of tenants who are forced to relocate will have little choice,鈥澛燘yrne said.
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