The New South Wales attorney-general, Michael Daley, has been urged to order an inquest into the death of Nepali rough sleeper Bikram Lama in Hyde Park. Lama, known as "the birdman" for his affection for the area's pigeons, died while sleeping rough. His body lay unnoticed for up to a week in bushes near a busy thoroughfare leading to St James station, as revealed by Guardian Australia.
Background of Bikram Lama
Records indicate that Bikram Lama came to Australia to study but lost contact with his family. By the time of his death, he was deemed a non-resident. The City of Sydney estimates that roughly one in five rough sleepers in the inner city are not Australian residents. Non-residents typically cannot access essential supports such as social housing, social security, healthcare, and work rights, which are crucial for escaping homelessness.
Calls for an Inquest
The independent MP for Sydney, Alex Greenwich, wrote to Daley on Friday requesting that he use his powers to direct an inquest into Lama's death, focusing on potential policy failures. "Like so many other people, I was just shocked and saddened by this," Greenwich said. "It's heartbreaking, but this has to be a wake-up call for policymakers. The question we have to ask ourselves is: did Bikram Lama die because of failures in state and federal policies?"
Daley's office responded that the coroner is still awaiting a brief of evidence from NSW Police. Once received, the court will review the matter and determine whether to proceed with an inquest. The coroner has sought contact with Lama's family in Nepal.
Broader Context of Homelessness Deaths
In 2024, Guardian Australia investigated over 600 homelessness deaths and found a significant life expectancy gap compared to the general population, often due to systemic failures in providing housing, healthcare, and mental health support. Recent coronial inquests have examined the link between lack of housing, gaps in homelessness support, and rough sleeper deaths. For instance, Victorian coroner Simon McGregor examined the death of Sacha Lefebvre, who was sleeping rough outside Hawthorn library in Melbourne, and called for greater homelessness support and recognition of housing as a human right.
Greenwich emphasized the importance of an inquest to understand the circumstances of Lama's death and prevent similar tragedies. "There are so many questions that need to be answered here," he said. "If this is happening to Bikram, unless we get to the bottom of what policy failures led to it, this will happen again."
