An investigation by the ombudsman in the Australian state of Victoria has found that a lockdown of public housing towers in Melbourne in July violated the state’s human rights laws.

Ombudsman Deborah Glass said that although a temporary lockdown was warranted and successfully contained a COVID-19 outbreak, its immediate imposition was not based on direct public-health advice.

She said her investigation found that senior health officials agreed on the morning of Saturday 4 July that the towers should be locked down to control the outbreak, anticipating that this would start the next day in order to allow planning for food supplies and other logistics.

Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews, however, announced later that afternoon that the lockdown would start immediately.

Access to documents denied

Ms Glass’s investigation traced the decision to a meeting of the state’s crisis council on 4 July, but her request for documents from that meeting, which are subject to privilege, was denied.

The ombudsman has urged the Victorian government to apologise to the tower residents, and acknowledge the impact of their immediate detention on their health and wellbeing.

"Many residents knew nothing of the lockdown or the reason for it when large numbers of police appeared on their estate that afternoon," Ms Glass said.

But the state’s housing minister Richard Wynne rejected the recommendation, saying: "We make no apology for saving people's lives."