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.
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.
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.