Big bill for LGH fire risk fix

TAXPAYERS will pay $250,000 for the replacement of combustible cladding, similar to that which was responsible for the UK’s deadly Grenfell Tower blaze, on the Launceston General Hospital.

In the wake of the fire in London last year that killed 71 people in the tower block, the statestate’ss director of building control Dale Webster launched a statewide audit of commercial and public buildings in Tasmania to look at whether they contained the potentially deadly external aluminium cladding.

The audit found that of 43 buildings looked at, only the LGH was “non-compliant” — with the report finding that the hospital was not built in line with the original approved design.

The first stage of removing the cladding began in December and the Department of Health and Human Services has awarded a $250,000 contracttract to building anand constructiontion leader Fairbrother Fairbr with VOS Construction and Join- ery, Prem i um Constructions and Sky l ine Roofing and Sheetmetal also invited to quote.

A DHHS spokesman said the cladding would be replaced over the next three months.

When asked by the Mercury if the department would pur- sue compensation over the installation of the non-complaint cladding, the spokesman said it was a complicated matter.

The Mercury asked the Launceston City Council for the original plans for the hospital but general manager Michael Stretton said the council could not provide plans without the Crown’s consent.

“The City of Launceston is of the understanding that the aluminium composite panel cladding used on the building met the original design specifications,” he said.

“This is being investigated by the Department of Justice, which is the lead authority in this matter and has access to all the relevant facts.”

The building was certified and signed off by a private building surveyor.

The department commissioned a report on the facade at the Royal Hobart Hospital to mitigate the potential of cladding falling off the building.