Combustible cladding crisis sparks flare-up over who pays

A STOUSH is brewing between the states and Scott Morrison’s government over who will pay to remove combustible cladding on high-rise buildings to prevent another Grenfell Tower tragedy.

Federal Industry Minister Karen Andrews has warned the Commonwealth was “not an ATM for the states” as she urged states to pay for the removal and replacement of unsafe cladding themselves.

It came just hours before Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews made the bombshell announcement the state would “fully fund” combustible cladding removal from about 500 high-rise apartments with a $600 million fund – if the Commonwealth chipped in half.

He revealed he had written to the Prime Minister calling for a “partnership” and requesting the matter be discussed at the Council of Australian Governments next month.

“This is not about politics. It’s simply a recognition that this is a national issue,” Mr Andrews said at a press conference in Melbourne.

“There needs to be a true national partnership to put community safety first, to rectify these most dangerous buildings.”

The UK government pledged in May to spend £200 million ($355 million) to remove and replace unsafe cladding for about 170 highrise buildings.

More than 1000 buildings in NSW were identified as having potentially dangerous cladding in a 2017 government audit.

More than 1000 buildings in Victoria were classified as either “extreme risk” or high risk” due to cladding in a taskforce audit.

It’s unknown how many buildings in Queensland have combustible cladding but more than 4300 properties are still being checked in phase two of the state’s audit process.

Four major buildings – the Adelaide Convention Centre, the Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Adelaide Oval and the Royal Adelaide Hospital – were found to have combustible cladding but it was found the cladding was only a low or moderate risk. Another 47 buildings were undergoing an audit following an initial study of 1117 buildings.

Almost 450 private buildings in WA were found to have combustible cladding in an ongoing audit.