State Governments Take Action On High-Risk Cladding

The Victorian Government is establishing a world-first program to tackle high-risk cladding through by way of a $600 million package to fix buildings with combustible cladding.

The grants will fund rectification works on hundreds of buildings, found to have high-risk cladding, to make sure they’re safe and compliant with all building regulations.

The program will be overseen by a new agency, Cladding Safety Victoria, which will manage funding and work with owners corporations from start to finish.

The Victorian Government will directly fund half of the rectification works and will introduce changes to the building permit levy to raise the other $300 million over the next five years.

Rectification of buildings with high-risk cladding and the establishment of a dedicated cladding agency were key recommendations from the final report from the Victorian Cladding Taskforce.

The Taskforce was established by the Government in 2017 to identify how many buildings had combustible cladding and potential solutions to fix them.

The Taskforce has also recommended the Victorian Government seek a contribution from the Commonwealth to help fund rectification, as combustible cladding is a national problem.

The Taskforce, headed by former Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu and former Deputy Premier John Thwaites, has worked with the Victorian Building Authority to identify 15 buildings that will have their cladding fixed first.

Work on these high-risk buildings will begin in the coming weeks, and Cladding Safety Victoria will also be contacting owners corporations and property owners shortly, starting with those whose buildings are at the greatest risk.

The government will also review the state’s Building Act to identify what legislative change is needed to strengthen the system and better protect consumers.

Article originally published by the Australian Institute of Health and Safety.