Covers Come Off Carlton Towers Redevelopment

The Victorian Government has unveiled concept designs for a public housing redevelopment at Carlton, marking the first phase of a $6.3-billion urban renewal program that will replace 44 highrise public housing towers across Melbourne.

The initial project at 20 Elgin Street and 141 Nicholson Street will deliver 248 social housing units across two buildings spanning 16 and 18 storeys. This would increase housing stock at the site by 26 per cent. 

Funded through the Federal Government’s Social Housing Accelerator Program, the overall program would ultimately house up to 30,000 residents.

The Carlton development, designed by Architectus, aims to replace 60-year-old red brick towers deemed unfit for modern living.

Architectus principal Oliver Mayger said the design’s people-centric approach prioritised the “lived experience of public housing renters, staff, and the community to ensure we design a site that meets the needs of the people who will live there for generations to come”.

The project involved extensive consultation with current residents, resulting in designs that include a mix of floorplans, including four and five-bedroom apartments to accommodate larger families.

Each unit will feature private balconies, reverse-cycle heating and cooling, ceiling fans, a laundry in each apartment, double-glazed windows and modern kitchens.

The development would aim for five-star Green Star and seven-star NatHERS ratings.

The site would also include community spaces, a kitchen garden, communal terrace, and improved shared spaces connecting to Station Street Park.

▲ The highrise public housing towers were built from the 1950s to 1970s.

Early demolition works have begun, with the next stage of demolition scheduled for early 2025 and construction expected to be completed by 2028.

The project forms part of a broader strategy to redevelop all of Melbourne’s highrise public housing towers by 2051, originally announced by former premier Daniel Andrews in September 2023.

The Government said this program would increase social housing by at least 10 per cent.

The redevelopment is not without controversy. A class action lawsuit is pending, with residents claiming Homes Victoria did not adequately consider their human rights before deciding to demolish towers in Carlton, Flemington and North Melbourne.

▲ The Carlton redevelopment will increase housing stock by 26 per cent.

A recent report by not-for-profit research firm OFFICE suggested the Government could potentially save hundreds of millions of dollars by refurbishing existing towers rather than complete demolition and rebuilding.

Federal Minister for Housing and Homelessness Clare O’Neil described the project as “the biggest Commonwealth investment in new social and affordable housing in a long time, delivering 55,000 new homes over five years”.

According to a Victorian Government statement, the redevelopment is the largest urban renewal project in Victoria’s history “which will benefit Victorians for decades to come and increase social housing by at least 10 per cent”.

Three affordable and social housing projects delivering over 800 homes were approved this year in Port Melbourne, Hampton East, and Broadmeadows, as part of the Victorian Government and Federal Government’s Social Housing Accelerator initiative.

Other fast-tracked social housing projects across Melbourne are also now under construction, including projects at Prahran.