Victorian cladding audit
The Grenfell Tower fire in the UK in June and the 2014 fire at the Lacrosse building in Docklands have highlighted the fire safety risks arising from the use of combustible and non-compliant cladding as external wall covering on high-rise buildings.
In Australia, the rules about how buildings must be constructed are set out in the National Construction Code (NCC). A non-compliant use of a building product is when a product is used in situations where it does not comply with the requirements of the NCC.
An initial audit instigated by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) in 2015 identified a number of buildings in inner Melbourne with non-compliant cladding.
The City of Melbourne continues to work with the VBA and the Melbourne Fire Brigade (MFB), in conjunction with owners and building practitioners to investigate, assess and take appropriate action to address the use of non-compliant external wall cladding.
Victorian Cladding Taskforce
In July 2017 the Victorian State Government established the Victorian Cladding Taskforce (the Taskforce) to:
- investigate the extent of non-compliant and non-conforming external cladding on Victorian buildings;
- advise on the rectification of non-compliant and non-conforming external cladding; and
- recommend changes to the regulatory system.
View Victorian Cladding Taskforce Interim Report November 2017 (PDF) at the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
The initial focus of the Taskforce will involve assessing external cladding on residential and accommodation buildings three storeys or above, as well as hospitals, schools and aged care facilities two storeys or above.
For further information as the work of the Taskforce progresses visit Victorian Cladding Taskforce.
Fire Safety Actions
Recommended fire safety action for residents, building owners, owners' corporations and facilities managers are outlined in the Taskforce Advisory Note 1: Fire Safety Actions (PDF) at the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning.
Guidelines for fire safety on balconies (PDF) are available from the Metropolitan Fire Brigade.
Further information
For comprehensive information on the Victorian Building Audit, including resources for residents, owners, owner's corporations and building practitioners visit Victorian Cladding Audit at Victorian Building Authority.
If you require further information from the City of Melbourne please contact us on 9658 9658.