![]() ![]() "The thing that is disappointing is just the lack of information, and how quickly they want to wrap everything up without people knowing what's going on," he said. Lata Mohamed-Sham, whose mother was locked down in the housing tower, expressed how disappointed he felt with the process as a whole. Resident await official apology from state government The settlement is yet to be formally approved by Supreme Court Justice John Dixon, who gave the parties another fortnight to reach an agreement on unresolved aspects of the deal. Ms Costello said they were seeking $40,000 each but argued a payment in the order of $10,000 to $20,000 would be more suitable. Lawyer Juliet Lucy said both lead plaintiffs had been "ostracised" by members of their community and had experienced trauma during the legal process. The court heard the pair was seeking additional compensation due to the stress and workload of fronting the class action. Ms Costello said the settlement meant a 20-day court trial was avoided, along with potential further delays if an appeal was lodged.Īn unresolved issue in the case was the payout for the lead plaintiffs, Idris Hassan and Hawa Warsame. While some residents say the sudden lockdown of nine Melbourne public housing towers was "inhumane and degrading", others do not believe the Government owes them an apology. Residents reflect on the public housing tower lockdown There was not a vaccine, it was rampantly contagious," she said. "At that time in July 2020, there was no cure for COVID-19. She said the lockdown was an "emergency response" that was "lawful, necessary and proportionate". Ms Costello said the government "continues to deny liability" but had reached a compromise with the plaintiffs. Georgina Costello KC, representing the State of Victoria, said eligible adults would receive about $2,200 and children under 16 would be paid about $1,100. Court hears government reaches compromise without admitting liability The final number of eligible residents was yet to be determined but it would result in about 1,800 adults and 750 children receiving compensation, the court heard. Lawyers for the parties confirmed the residents had accepted a proposed settlement offer of $5 million. Several residents and the ombudsman have called on the government to issue an apology, but it has refused. ![]() A Victorian Ombudsman's review later found the lockdown measure was justified, but its sudden introduction was "rushed" and "not compatible with the residents' human rights". ![]()
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