Plans to sell off public housing land at nine sites across Melbourne to private developers have been opposed by six of the eight Melbourne councils where residents are affected.

The Andrews government is fast-tracking plans to sell the nine sites, in some of the city's most exclusive locations: Brighton, Hawthorn, Clifton Hill, Ascot Vale, North Melbourne, Flemington, Brunswick West, Northcote and Heidelberg West.

Apartments that would be built on land between the existing Flemington public housing towers. Credit:Victorian government

Developers who succeed in buying a site off the government will have to rebuild the existing public housing – with at least 10 per cent additional dwellings for the poor.

The government is midway through a similar project in Ashburton, where dilapidated walk-up public housing apartments have been demolished and the best part of the prime site is still to be sold off.