Published on Monday, 04 August 2025

Government needs to commit to public ownership of housing estates

Inner Melbourne Community Legal commends the Labor Party state conference resolution in favour of keeping state ownership of all public housing land and calls on the Victorian government to now commit to a plan to expand public housing. 

On Sunday, the ALP’s state conference passed a resolution calling on the Victorian government to retain public ownership of all land at the 44 housing tower sites in Melbourne. 

IMCL welcomes the message conveyed by ALP members but it needs to be backed by real action to invest in public housing on the sites. 

“The message to the state government is loud and clear that these inner city sites must not be sold off to private developers,” said IMCL chief executive officer Nadia Morales. 

“On the weekend hundreds rallied for the government to stop the demolition of public housing towers. The towers’ residents’ trust of government is at all-time low. 

“The Labor government must show it is serious about listening to residents, its members and the Victorian community by real action to keep the land in public hands.” 

The resolution also called for exemption from the ‘public housing tax’ (as it was referred to), calling for the commonwealth government to provide GST exemption for public housing building materials and Commonwealth Rent Assistance for public housing renters, in line with community housing. 

“More public housing is needed in Victoria. We support the call to put public housing on even funding field with community housing. However, the state government cannot afford to wait for the federal government. Victorians need more public housing now. 

“If the state government cannot afford to build public housing it must stop knocking it down.   

“Investment in public housing in Victoria has been going backwards, but the community housing model is a poor substitute for direct public ownership.” 

Further hearings are scheduled this week for the Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee’s inquiry into the redevelopment of Melbourne’s public housing towers. 

In its submission to the inquiry, IMCL says there should be no reduction of public housing on the estates.