Government slow action on cladding puts thousands of residents’ lives at risk

Thousands of Sydney high-rise residents are unknowingly living in potential death traps because local councils and the state government are slow to fix the problem. See if your building has been identified as a risk.

• Victorian Planning Minister’s push for combustible cladding ban
• Sydney councils fail to respond to taskforce cladding concerns

Thousands of Sydney high-rise residents are unknowingly living in potential death traps because local councils and the state government are slow to fix the problem.

Almost two years on from London’s Grenfell fire which killed 72 people and a week after a second cladding fire in Melbourne, it can be revealed only seven buildings have been ordered by the state government to remove aluminium combustible cladding.

These seven orders have been issued by the Department of Planning.

Resident Sylvia Adarade said she had been told ‘absolutely nothing’ about her building being issued with an order to have its aluminium cladding removed. Picture: Richard Dobson

The developments — which range from luxury apartments to community housing, student accommodation, a hotel and an office tower — are believed to be the first of 447 ­“potentially high-risk” high-rise buildings identified on the NSW Cladding Taskforce Register.

A taskforce spokeswoman claims it has informed those with a vested interest in the buildings of the dangers via 33,000 letters sent to residents, owners and councils.

“This outreach work is continuing as and when required to ensure residents and owners are aware of the status of their building and what’s needed to ensure it is properly assessed and made safe,” the taskforce spokeswoman said.

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“Importantly, no building in NSW has been ordered to be evacuated as a result of the taskforce investigation.”

But at least three residents in one Sydney building have no idea their building needs significant fire repairs.

Tenant Sylvia Adarade, 55, lives in a two-bedroom apartment at Baywater Dr in Wentworth Point, in Sydney’s west. The building was issued with an order to remove the aluminium cladding on December 7 last year.

“I have been told absolutely nothing about this,” she said. “You don’t get told anything as a renter. On Monday I’m going to ask the building manager what’s going on.”

Urbanest student accommodation at Redfern has been told to remove its cladding. Picture: AAP

Two other residents, who did not want to be identified, also had no idea there was a cladding issue.

Wentworth Point is within the City of Parramatta Council area, which has identified 31 buildings as being potentially high-risk.

Under the Residential Tenancies Act, landlords and real estate agents face $2200 fines if they fail to disclose issues that make the property unfit for habitation when someone is signing a lease.

Tenants Union senior policy officer Leo Patterson Ross.

In relation to tenants who already have a lease, Tenants Union senior policy officer Leo Patterson Ross said: “The NSW Tenants Union is unaware of any obligation, unless they are directly asked, on the part of owners to tell tenants that the property they inhabit is on the NSW Government’s Cladding Taskforce Register.

“We believe there should be an obligation. If it is significant enough to be on the register, they should at least have the right to be told.”

A spokeswoman for the Department of Planning said: “It is the responsibility of building owners to inform residents about the order.”

Some Sydney apartment owners have already been hit with bills of up to $60,000 to replace combustible cladding with safer materials.

Industry groups are calling for a $100 million government-backed loan scheme to ensure affected buildings can cover rectification costs. A similar scheme exists in Victoria.

Better Regulation Minister Matt Kean pointed out reforms that make it easier for apartment owners to chase down compensation from dodgy builders and developers.

He said: “We have changed the law so it is clear that cladding that is a fire safety risk is a major defect for the purpose of home building warranties.

“Now residential building owners can claim on these statutory warranties for any defective

building work within six years for major defects.”

BUILDINGS TOLD TO REMOVE CLADDING BY PLANNING DEPT

Student accommodation

● Urban Nest, 142 Abercrombie St, Redfern

Apartments
● 9 Baywater Dr, Wentworth Point

Office building

● 1 Smith St, Parramatta (owned by AREF Property Holdings)

Hotel
● Atura Hotel, 32 Cricketers Arms Rd, Prospect

Community housing in Telopea
● 17 Sturt St

● 1 Shortland St

● 3 Shortland St

Originally published as Government slow action on cladding puts thousands of residents’ lives at risk