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Until Monday 31 March 2025, you have an opportunity to add your voice by making a A piece of writing, evidence, or story you’d like to be read by the Committee. The people on the Committee are Victorian state politicians from a range of political parties who come together to work on legal and social issues.submissionto the Victorian Government’s Inquiry into the redevelopment of Melbourne’s public housing towers. This guide provides an overview of the Inquiry.
Quick tips: making a submission
- If you have Personal knowledge that you’ve gained about the world and events from being directly involved, rather than from other people’s descriptions.lived experience living in Melbourne’s public housing towers, say this upfront and highlight your unique experience and perspective.
- While there’s no word limit, keep your submission as concise and clear as possible (dot points are great).
- Ensure you respond to one or more A guide as to what the inquiry is about.Terms of Reference (TOR) (for more info on this see what is the inquiry about)
- Most submissions will become public. If you’re not comfortable with this, read the FAQ below for info on how you can make your submission confidential.
- Your submission doesn’t have to be in written form, you can also submit a visual or audio recording.
Have questions or need additional support?
If you want to share your views, but aren’t sure where to start, you can contact us at Policy@YACVic.org.au.
Also, you can attend one of our online drop in sessions for help, support and advice from the Youth Affairs Council of Victoria (YACVic) and Centre for Multicultural Youth (CMY) teams about how to make a submission. Click on one of the dates below to register for these sessions:
Why this matters
A submission is a piece of writing, evidence, or story you’d like to be heard by the Parliamentary This inquiry is led by the Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee, a group of people in Parliament who inquire and report on any proposal, matter, or thing concerned with community services, education, gaming, health, and law and justice.Committee. Making a submission to an Inquiry offers an opportunity for you to have your say on issues or problems you care about – including sharing lived experience, knowledge and recommendations with the government.
It’s important for the Committee to hear different perspectives, including the voice and ideas of residents and community members – so things change now and in the future.
The Committee is required to make a report with recommendations to the Victorian state government by December 2025.
Who should make a submission
Anyone can make a submission. But, young people, their families and communities with experience living in the public housing towers are especially encouraged to make submissions.
Important: If you’re sharing lived experience, it’s important to look after yourself and only share what you’re comfortable with.
Read our resource on sharing lived experience as a young person and staying safe while advocating.
What the inquiry is about
The Terms of Reference (TOR) for the Inquiry set out what the inquiry is about. This includes things like:
- Your experience living in the public housing towers – such as sense of community or belonging, quality of life, accessibility, safety, and overall satisfaction.
- The impact of the redevelopment plan on you, your family, and your community – including the compulsory relocation and displacement of people to areas they don’t know or where they might not have the same local connections or community.
- How and if you, your family and community were given an opportunity to provide feedback ahead of the government announcing their plans.
- Anything else you want the government to know – such as your suggestions on what could have made the process better and more inclusive.
How did this Inquiry come about?
In September 2023, as part of Victoria's Housing Statement, the Victorian Government announced its plans to redevelop the 44 high-rise public housing towers by 2051, where 10,000 people reside.
Many of the towers, built between the 1950s and 1970s, no longer meet minimum standards due to years of chronic under-investment. The redevelopment plans aim to meet modern design standards and increase social housing by 10%.
This inquiry was launched in response to several concerns, including:
- Lack of consultation and transparency with tower residents, especially regarding relocation and the long-term timeline of the plan.
- Experts argue the plan does not address the growing public housing waitlist and provides limited benefit to current tenants, with only a marginal increase in housing capacity.
How to make and lodge a submission
Your submission must respond to at least one TOR, but there’s no strict rules as to how you should share your thoughts and/or experiences.
While submissions are commonly written, you can also submit a visual or audio recording.
Here’s an idea of what structure you might like to take:
1. Introduce yourself and your personal experience
This is a brief introduction of who you are and why you are making a submission. This could include some personal info on where you live, who you live with, and why this issue matters to you.
2. Provide thoughts on the Terms of Reference
This includes your thoughts on the TOR detailed above. The Committee may not accept your submission if it’s not relevant to at least one TOR, so try and keep your submission relevant and concise.
3. Lodge your submission
Lodge your submission online via e-submission. Alternatively, you can email your submission or send a hard copy using the Committee’s contact details below.
4. Fill in your details
Make sure you include your name, address and phone number on your submission.
Frequently asked questions
What is the deadline for submissions?
It’s Monday 31 March.
If you can’t submit by this date, contact the Committee ASAP to ask for an extension including your reasons.
How can I contact the Committee?
Mail: Parliament of Victoria
Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee
Parliament House, Spring Street
EAST MELBOURNE VIC 3002
Phone: 03 8682 2869
Should my submission be written in a certain way and how long should it be?
Your submission doesn’t have to be any specific style or overly technical to be effective. The best submissions detail someone’s own experience in their own words. And, they are clear, concise and easy for someone else to read.
Your submission doesn’t need to be long. Stick to what you know, and start with the most important things you want the Committee to know.
Who’s the audience?
Your submission will be read by Legislative Council Legal and Social Issues Committee, a group of people in Parliament who inquire and report on any proposal, matter, or thing concerned with community services, education, gaming, health, and law and justice.
What does the inquiry process and timeline look like?
1. Terms of reference released
TOR released on 30 September 2024, including detailed information on what the Committee with investigate and the final report due date.
2. Call for submissions
The Committee calls for public submissions, due on Monday 31 March 2025.
3. Public Hearings
The Committee will conduct public hearings so they can speak to people directly (including those who’ve made a submission, subject matter experts, and organisations)
If you make a public submission, they may contact you and invite you to speak at a hearing.
4. Research
The Committee examine the evidence provided through the submissions and hearings to include in the final report.
5. Final Report
The final report is released by December 2025 to the Victorian Parliament and public, including findings and recommendations for the government to consider.
6. Government Response
The government must respond to the final report within six months by June 2026 – including whether or not it supports the Committee’s recommendations and what actions it will take.
What happens to my submission?
After you’ve submitted, the committee will decide whether or not to accept your submission and publish it (the committee may not accept your submission if it doesn’t respond to the TOR).
Your submission will then be published on the committee’s website with your name. If you want to change or add something, you can send a supplementary submission.
If accepted and published by the Committee, this means it’s protected by Parliamentary privilege means the content of your submission cannot be used in court against you or anyone else.Parliamentary privilege.
Can I publish my submission confidentially?
If you want to keep your submission confidential, you should:
- Include the word ‘confidential’ clearly on the front of your submission and say whyyou’d like to keep it private.
- Make sure you include your contact details and name on a separate page (not on the main part of your submission).
Most confidential submissions will only be read by the Committee and the The committee secretariat supports the committee with administration, gathering evidence, research, and report writing.secretariat. The Committee has the authority to publish any submission, but they must contact you first if you’ve asked them to keep it confidential.