Melbourne public housing tower residents will receive compensation payments of about $2,200 each from the Victorian government after they were forced into a sudden hard lockdown during a COVID-19 outbreak in 2020.
A Victorian Ombudsman’s review later found the lockdown was “rushed” and “not compatible with the residents’ human rights”.
Several residents have called on the government to issue an apology, but it has refused.
The failure to offer an apology was fairly predictable but it’s still extraordinarily disappointing given both the events during the lockdown and the warnings that had been given to government in the months before the lockdown, and in a few instances before COVID entirely.
I was pretty pro lockdown, but this was just terrible. They absolutely deserve an apology
Dan will never admit he fucked up.
Because the lockdown was the right call and the results show it.
Detaining people with no warning or explanation, and no arrangements for food, baby supplies or sanitary supplies, is disgusting. No other people were treated like that.
When the Ariele in Maribyrnong became a tier 1 exposure site, everyone got a letter delivered to their doorstep and people were still able to leave. Some people left the building without reading the letters and only realised something was happening when they saw the news crews.
The Kings Park complex in Southbank was notv surrounded by police to prevent anyone leaving.
Wealthy people on boats were locked down. This was a similar situation.
Aren’t you dead already, Kerry? Also, the people who were locked down on boats were willfully violating rules concerning interstate travel.
$2,200 is pretty paltry… what those residents were put through was pretty awful . It was a tough time for all Melbournians I can’t imagine what it was like to be essentially under guard in those towers. .
What they were put through was a lockdown. Same as everyone else, just because theirs ways specific to a building instead of the whole suburb or city is a good thing.
What they were put through was a lockdown. Same as everyone else
Was your home surrounded by police with no explanation, no warning, and no arrangements for food? It was very much not the same as everyone else.
In other apartment buildings with cases, people were given written notice and expected to self-isolate.
