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| Engineer who helped build Melbourne’s public housing towers condemns plan to demolish ‘icons’ | Engineer who helped build Melbourne’s public housing towers condemns plan to demolish ‘icons’ |
| (32 minutes later) | |
| Victorian government defends redevelopment, saying towers are outdated and unsafe as inquiry continues | Victorian government defends redevelopment, saying towers are outdated and unsafe as inquiry continues |
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| An engineer who helped build Melbourne’s public housing towers in the 1960s has condemned the Victorian government’s plan to demolish them, saying it is expensive, unnecessary and environmentally irresponsible. | An engineer who helped build Melbourne’s public housing towers in the 1960s has condemned the Victorian government’s plan to demolish them, saying it is expensive, unnecessary and environmentally irresponsible. |
| Gerry Noonan, who worked on most of the city’s 44 towers, told a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into their redevelopment they should be refurbished and upgraded instead – citing the financial cost and carbon impact of demolition and rebuilding. | Gerry Noonan, who worked on most of the city’s 44 towers, told a Victorian parliamentary inquiry into their redevelopment they should be refurbished and upgraded instead – citing the financial cost and carbon impact of demolition and rebuilding. |
| “It would be sinful to knock those buildings down. They’re icons,” he told the inquiry on Wednesday. | “It would be sinful to knock those buildings down. They’re icons,” he told the inquiry on Wednesday. |
| The government has claimed the towers are outdated, unsafe and energy-inefficient, but Noonan characterised those problems as minor and fixable. | The government has claimed the towers are outdated, unsafe and energy-inefficient, but Noonan characterised those problems as minor and fixable. |
| “I live in a house that was built 155 years ago, as do a lot of people in Melbourne, probably even longer than that. You get the odd problem, but it’s not a big deal, certainly not to knock the whole building down over it,” he said. | “I live in a house that was built 155 years ago, as do a lot of people in Melbourne, probably even longer than that. You get the odd problem, but it’s not a big deal, certainly not to knock the whole building down over it,” he said. |
| Under the state government’s plan, announced by the then premier Daniel Andrews in September 2023, all 44 towers will be demolished and redeveloped by 2051, starting with three occupied towers in Flemington and North Melbourne and two unoccupied redbrick towers in Carlton. | Under the state government’s plan, announced by the then premier Daniel Andrews in September 2023, all 44 towers will be demolished and redeveloped by 2051, starting with three occupied towers in Flemington and North Melbourne and two unoccupied redbrick towers in Carlton. |
| While there will be 10% increased social housing across the sites, only the towers in Carlton will return as public housing, thanks to federal funding. | While there will be 10% increased social housing across the sites, only the towers in Carlton will return as public housing, thanks to federal funding. |
| The rest will be managed by community housing providers, which advocates have previously warned the inquiry could lead to higher rents and weaker tenant protections. | The rest will be managed by community housing providers, which advocates have previously warned the inquiry could lead to higher rents and weaker tenant protections. |
| Much of Wednesday’s hearing was focused on the condition of the towers, with the minister overseeing the redevelopment, Harriet Shing, telling the inquiry despite spending $110m on maintenance each year, the government was “swimming against a very strong current of deterioration”. | Much of Wednesday’s hearing was focused on the condition of the towers, with the minister overseeing the redevelopment, Harriet Shing, telling the inquiry despite spending $110m on maintenance each year, the government was “swimming against a very strong current of deterioration”. |
| “We want to make sure that the housing that we are providing for people is not degraded to the point where we have to act with undue haste in a way that doesn’t give people choices, because we left it for too long,” Shing said. | “We want to make sure that the housing that we are providing for people is not degraded to the point where we have to act with undue haste in a way that doesn’t give people choices, because we left it for too long,” Shing said. |
| She described the redevelopment as a “very staged, very careful and considered process” that will take place over 30 years. She said so far, 88% of residents in the first stage had agreed to relocate. | She described the redevelopment as a “very staged, very careful and considered process” that will take place over 30 years. She said so far, 88% of residents in the first stage had agreed to relocate. |
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| Peta McCammon, the department’s secretary, said many towers had failed key standards including accessibility, sustainability, ventilation, noise and private open space. She said they would be unsafe in the event of fire or earthquake. | Peta McCammon, the department’s secretary, said many towers had failed key standards including accessibility, sustainability, ventilation, noise and private open space. She said they would be unsafe in the event of fire or earthquake. |
| While she conceded some issues could be fixed, she said the cost would “far exceed the benefit” and residents would still need to relocate. | While she conceded some issues could be fixed, she said the cost would “far exceed the benefit” and residents would still need to relocate. |
| The department’s presentation said pipe walls in some larger towers had eroded from 2mm to as thin as 0.2mm, with 52 temporary patches applied in just the past three months. | The department’s presentation said pipe walls in some larger towers had eroded from 2mm to as thin as 0.2mm, with 52 temporary patches applied in just the past three months. |
| About 3,000 units were estimated to be at risk due to failing sewer stacks, with Martin McCurry, the asset manager at Homes Victoria, telling the inquiry about 20km of sewers “need to be replaced”. | About 3,000 units were estimated to be at risk due to failing sewer stacks, with Martin McCurry, the asset manager at Homes Victoria, telling the inquiry about 20km of sewers “need to be replaced”. |
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| He also stressed another major concern was concrete spalling, which occurs when concrete surfaces start to break away. McCurry said this can become “concrete cancer”, which causes the corrosion of the steel reinforcement and weakens the structural integrity of the building. | |
| “If you’ve got a structure which has durability issues, then is it prudent to continue, invest in a structure that has got a remaining life of a minimum number of years?” he asked. | “If you’ve got a structure which has durability issues, then is it prudent to continue, invest in a structure that has got a remaining life of a minimum number of years?” he asked. |
| But Noonan described “concrete cancer” as a “piece of cake” to repair. He also rejected the claim that modern amenities, such as air conditioning, were required in all units. | But Noonan described “concrete cancer” as a “piece of cake” to repair. He also rejected the claim that modern amenities, such as air conditioning, were required in all units. |
| “In Melbourne, you get 10 hot days a year, for God’s sake. You don’t need air conditioning,” he said. | “In Melbourne, you get 10 hot days a year, for God’s sake. You don’t need air conditioning,” he said. |
| Noonan also pointed to a report by architecture firm of OFFICE, which released a proposal last year to retain and upgrade the Flemington estate and build five new mid-rises on existing car parks, saving the government $364m. | Noonan also pointed to a report by architecture firm of OFFICE, which released a proposal last year to retain and upgrade the Flemington estate and build five new mid-rises on existing car parks, saving the government $364m. |
| Simon Newport from Homes Victoria, however, said the report failed to take into account the need to relocate residents during works. | Simon Newport from Homes Victoria, however, said the report failed to take into account the need to relocate residents during works. |
| Newport confirmed condition reports and cost-benefit analyses had been completed but he could not provide them to the committee, as the government had asserted executive privilege over the documents. | Newport confirmed condition reports and cost-benefit analyses had been completed but he could not provide them to the committee, as the government had asserted executive privilege over the documents. |
| The inquiry heard that government has made public just 12 of 146 documents, despite the Greens’ attempt to compel their publication through the parliament. | The inquiry heard that government has made public just 12 of 146 documents, despite the Greens’ attempt to compel their publication through the parliament. |