Joint submissions to the Coroner

Joint submissions to the Coroner by Homeless Persons' Legal Clinic (HPLC) and Tenants Union of Victoria (TUV) 24 December 2024

Coroner White is currently investigating the tragic death of three Indian students who died on 3 January 2025 in a house fire in Footscray.  In a joint submission, the HPLC and TUV called on the Coroner to make recommendations that could prevent similar tragedies taking place in future. 

The investigation has revealed that up to five international students were living in a single bedroom. The Melbourne Fire Brigade reported that the power boards in the room were overloaded, there was inadequate electrical circuitry in the house and there may not have been any safety switches or working smoke alarms.  The real estate agent had also failed to undertake any inspections of the property for over two years.  The reality is that these students had nowhere else to go, they had no options other than to accept dangerous and overcrowded housing. By any definition, these students were homeless.  This situation is just another tragic example of the fallout from the chronic lack of affordable, adequate and safe housing. 

The submission calls on the coroner to acknowledge these broader social and policy issues and recommend legislative changes that make  landlords and rooming house owners responsible for ensuring that premises are safe and that they check that smoke alarms have been correctly installed and maintained. The submission also requests the Coroner to make recommendations that Consumer Affairs Victoria and other agencies conduct an education campaign to better inform landlords, rooming house operators, real estate agents, tenants and rooming house residents (particularly international students) of their rights and obligations and about basic fire safety.