Flammable cladding to be banned nationwide

STATES and territories have agreed to a nationwide construction ban on combustible cladding, but removing the hazardous material from existing buildings continues to cause headaches.

A meeting of building ministers in Hobart agreed to an in-principle ban, aimed to reduce the risk posed by flammable cladding. Federal minister Karen Andrews confirmed the pact, “subject to proper investigation and some discussions with industry”.

“Victoria and NSW have already moved to ban the use of cladding on new construction over certain (heights),” she said. “The states can now work on how they’re going to further implement changes in their own jurisdictions.

“Each state or territory can proceed immediately to implement bans in full but I’m going to encourage them to bring industry with them.”

Consensus comes after a 40-storey Melbourne CBD apartment tower caught fire on Monday. It was sparked by a cigarette on a 22nd-floor balcony. The tower’s cladding had been identified as moderate risk. The fire quickly spread five storeys above, and hundreds of residents still cannot return amid safety concerns unrelated to the cladding.

Ms Andrews conceded there was a matter of urgency linked to the remediation of buildings currently fitted with the risky cladding.

Cities around the world were put on notice after London’s Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, when an inferno engulfed the 24-storey block of flats, killing 72 people.