Supreme Court boots East-West Link squatters from Bendigo St, Collingwood.

SQUATTERS occupying five homes earmarked for the East-West Link have been booted out by the Supreme Court.

SQUATTERS occupying five homes earmarked for the East-West Link have been booted out by the Supreme Court.

Associate Justice Mark Derham ordered the state government take back possession of the houses in Bendigo St, Collingwood, which were acquired for the now-dumped tunnel project.

The Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport, and Resources was granted possession unopposed, with no one appearing to defend four of the five applications.

Lawyer Meghan Fitzgerald, representing squatter Larry Walsh, said her client had moved out of 18 Bendigo St some time ago and hadn’t been served with a writ of possession, adding another occupier received it on his behalf.

But Mr Walsh didn’t oppose the government’s bid to reclaim the property, Ms Fitzgerald said.

In his orders, Associate Justice Derham recognised the government department was the rightful owner of numbers 24, 16, 18, 26 and 8 Bendigo St.

The squatters claim to be combating homelessness ­despite the houses being set aside for homelessness services run by the Salvation Army.

Many squatters attended the packed hearing, with one Aboriginal woman saying from the back of the court: “I’d like the know why the Salvation Army is bringing two people out of jail and gives them a house and throws us out.”

Associate Justice Derham replied that he didn’t know.

Squatter Joel Bynon, who the Herald Sun reported had been charged in 1989 with robbing a convenience store with an AK-47, told Mr Derham homelessness was a human rights issue.

“We’re no longer the unheard voice,” Mr Bynon, sporting a freshly shaved head, said.

“We’re here to judge the state today. They have failed us.”