Bikram Lama, known as Hyde Park’s “birdman”, reportedly lay unnoticed among the park’s pigeons for up to a week before his body was found, prompting campaigners and a Sydney MP to urge New South Wales attorney‑general Michael Daley to order a coronial inquest. Lama was recorded as a non‑resident at the time of his death; the City of Sydney estimates about one in five inner‑city rough sleepers are not Australian residents, a status that can exclude people from social housing, welfare and healthcare. The coroner has contacted Lama’s family in Nepal and is awaiting a brief of evidence from NSW Police before deciding whether to hold an inquest.
Calls for action from politicians and advocates
Alex Greenwich, the independent member for Sydney, has written to Attorney‑General Michael Daley asking him to use his powers to order a coronial inquest into Bikram Lama’s death and to probe whether state and federal policies contributed. "It's heartbreaking but this has to be a wake‑up call for policymakers," Greenwich said, adding they must ask whether Lama died because of failures in public policy.
The attorney‑general's office said the coroner is still waiting for a brief of evidence from NSW Police. "The Attorney General has received correspondence in relation to this matter," a spokesperson said, and the court will decide whether to proceed to inquest once the police material is received.
Coroners can compel witnesses and consider systemic issues such as gaps in services or policy settings. Greenwich is seeking that kind of wide‑ranging examination, not only to establish cause of death but to identify what should change and who should make those changes.
Who Lama was and what the records show
Relatives say Lama came to Australia to study. By the time of his death he was recorded as a non‑resident, a status that typically excludes people from key supports, according to the City of Sydney: social housing, social security payments, healthcare entitlements and formal work rights are often unavailable to non‑residents.
Local officials estimate about one in five rough sleepers in the inner city aren't residents. Without access to income support or subsidised housing, people are more likely to rely on emergency services and ad hoc charity provision. Those who lack formal healthcare entitlements can also face barriers to treatment for physical and mental health problems common among people sleeping rough.
Context of homelessness deaths in Australia
A 2024 investigation into homelessness deaths found more than 600 fatalities and a large life‑expectancy gap between people sleeping rough and the general population. Coroners in several states have recently examined individual deaths where lack of housing, gaps in homelessness services and health problems intersected.
Last month, Victorian coroner Simon McGregor presided over an inquest into the death of Sacha Lefebvre, 52, who was found dead while sleeping rough outside a Melbourne library in December 2025. McGregor's findings highlighted the interaction of mental ill health, chronic physical conditions and substance use, and he called for greater homelessness supports and for housing to be treated as a human right.
Those coronial inquiries haven't only established cause of death; they've aimed to trace links between policy settings and fatal outcomes. Advocates say examining systems — housing, health, welfare and immigration or residency rules — is essential to prevent further deaths.
Policy fault‑lines: residency, access and cost
The Lama case spotlights a policy fault‑line: people without resident status often fall outside safety nets that are conditional on residency. Where services are tied to residency, people who arrive as students, temporary visa holders or who lose their residency status can end up with limited or no access to social housing or welfare payments.
- Exclusion from income support and subsidised housing increases reliance on emergency and charitable provision.
- Limits on healthcare entitlements can create barriers to treatment for chronic physical and mental health problems.
- Residency‑conditional services shift costs onto emergency services and community organisations.
Advocates argue that coronial scrutiny could identify systemic gaps and point to policy changes that would reduce risks for people who fall outside standard social supports.
Related Articles
- Taylor warns of higher risk from 'bad countries' — migration fallout
- Patient allegedly attacks staff at Sydney hospital — nurse seriously injured
- Booing at three Anzac Day services called 'a cancer' by Indigenous leaders
The coroner has sought contact with Lama’s family in Nepal and is awaiting a brief of evidence from NSW Police before determining whether to open an inquest.
This article was created with AI assistance.
