The Andrews Labor Government will push for a nation-wide ban on combustible cladding to further protect Victorians from being exposed to unacceptable fire risk.
At the Building Minister's Forum in Hobart today Minister for Planning Richard Wynne will call on the states, territories and Federal Government to support the ban, extending to border control to stop substandard cladding from coming into the country.
The Labor Government has led the country in taking action against combustible cladding – introducing changes last year to give the Minister for Planning powers to ban the use of aluminium composite cladding on new multi-storey buildings and provide a low-cost financing option to help owners remove dangerous combustible cladding from their properties.
The Victorian Cladding Taskforce, the Victorian Building Authority and local governments have also worked with building owners and residents to make buildings safe by completing emergency works such as removing cladding around fire exits and installing smoke alarms.
Despite these measures, aluminium composite cladding is still available on the market and the most effective way to ensure this hazardous product is not used on anymore Victorian buildings is to remove it from the market altogether.
The Federal Government has a critical role to play in ensuring the building products coming into the country are safe and compliant.
We call on all levels of government to work with us on implementing this ban to get rid of this dangerous cladding from Australia once and for all.
As noted by Minister for Planning Richard Wynne
"We've seen how quickly fires spread up buildings fitted with combustible cladding and we have a responsibility to stamp out these sub-standard building materials."
"Victoria has pushed for a national response to flammable cladding ever since the 2014 Lacrosse fire but has been met with frustrating resistance from the Federal Government."
"Given the fire risk and the cost to apartment owners to fix cladded buildings, the most common-sense approach is to stop this material from coming in to the country all together – and we need Federal Government support to make that happen."
