Compensation in Australia's first combustible cladding class action could be worth many billions of dollars and take in more than 1000 buildings, according to a federal court judgment giving the first official indication of how big the claims could be against Alucobond manufacturer 3A Composites and supplier Halifax Vogel Group.

Potential claimants also existed in every state and territory in Australia, Justice Michael Wigney said in the interlocutory judgment that rejected 3A Composites' attempt to limit the number of members in the open-ended class, a move litigation funder Omni Bridgeway called a "significant victory".