Cladding risk in 1400 Victorian buildings

UP to 1400 non-government Victorian buildings could have potentially dangerous panelling like that found in London’s fatal Grenfell Tower.

Eight Victorian hospitals definitely need to have the flammable cladding replaced.

The Victorian Cladding Taskforce, chaired by former premier Ted Baillieu and former deputy premier John Thwaites and created in July after the Grenfell fire, yester- day released an interim report into the extent of non-compliant cladding across Victoria.

“Cladding is much more complicated and more widespread than we first thought,” Planning Minister Richard Wynne said. “And we’re going to get on top of it because there is nothing more important than public safety.”

Mr Wynne said the report painted a picture of a culture of non-compliance in the build- ing industry spanning decades.

The taskforce found 1369 buildings are likely to have aluminium composite panels with a polyethylene core or expanded polystyrene panels, but need inspecting to confirm the materials are present.

The buildings have not been named. “I want to make it clear though, these buildings have been declared safe to occupy,” Mr Wynne said.

A Department of Health and Human Services audit of its 1100 hospitals and housing commission towers found eight hospitals had non-compliant cladding that needed replacing, while the towers were given an all-clear.

All of the affected hospital sites will be rectified within three years.

The state opposition criticised the government for taking too long to fix the risky cladding in the state’s hospitals.