Non-profit architecture and research firm OFFICEestimated it would have been$88 million cheaper to refurbish the low-rise Barack Beacon estate in Port Melbourne – which is already being redeveloped – and add extra dwellings on-site rather than knocking it down and rebuilding.
Andrews rejected that analysis on Sunday,and said it would have set taxpayers back $2.3 billion over 20 years,or $55 million per tower,just to maintain all the buildings.
“That’s maintenance alone,that’s not retrofitting. Even if you retrofit them,you can’t get them up to standard,” Andrews said.
“That’s good money not spent properly. We think,take them down,build something infinitely better,and have these sites home to 30,000 people instead of being home to 10,000 people.”
He declined to say how much the government plan would cost instead.
“We haven’t run the tenders yet,” Andrews said. He would not share the estimate with the public,“or anyone who might want to bid for that work”.
Andrews was joined by Omar Farah,who lived in a low-rise public housing block in Ascot Vale that has now been rebuilt.
“We just moved to the brand new building,we’re so happy for that,” Farah told reporters at the government press conference. “It’s more safe,more cosy. It’s very nice.”
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Housing Minister Colin Brooks recognised that strong community ties had formed in the estates,and said the government would work hard to keep those ties when people are relocated for the rebuild.
Opposition Leader John Pesutto,addressing branch members at the Liberal Party’s state council on Sunday,said Labor had offered nothing for hopeful home buyers.
“We differ from the government,” Pesutto said. “And we will work hard to establish that differentiation between us and Daniel Andrews. Daniel Andrews this week promised 800,000 new homes over the next decade. Yeah,right.”
Pesutto welcomed the first 153 regional social homes Andrews announced on Sunday,but said he had no faith in the government to deliver them or to relieve the “exploding” waiting list.