Wednesday 13 September 2017

The terrible tragedy in Grenfell revealed serious fire safety problems for some high rise buildings and the ABC 4Corners program on highly combustible polyethylene cladding shows dodgy practices and failed regulation in Australia over perhaps 30 years, story HERE.

While it is too late for some, the Senate Economics References Committee interim report recommends a national ban on importation and sale of flammable cladding, a national licensing scheme for building trades, increased enforcement and accountability in the industry and a consumer protection scheme, information HERE. 

The NSW Minister for Innovation and Better Regulation claims that the NSW fire safety system provides better protection but Fair Trading identified 1,041 residential buildings that could have similar dangerous cladding and has asked building owners to pay a fire expert to check fire systems and declare that their building meets regulations. The big question is who is responsible for repair/replacement for unsafe cladding and I’ve asked the minister who will be responsible for rectification and who has to pay, HERE.