Deadline looms for building fire safety reports

Queensland apartment building owners have until Friday to meet a crucial deadline

The 2014 Lacrosse Apartment fire in Melbourne's Docklands sent shockwaves through the construction industry because of the way the volatile external cladding spread the blaze.

QUEENSLAND building owners have until Friday to finalise their combustible cladding checklists or face penalties of up to $2611 and a greater level of scrutiny.

The requirement applies to owners of all multi-storey private buildings built or modified since January 1, 1994, who were required to complete a Part 1 checklist before March 29.

The crack down follows a series of 19 fires worldwide since 2005, including the 2014 Lacrosse Apartments fire in Melbourne's Docklands and the Grenfell Tower fire in London on June 14, 2017, that claimed 72 lives with a further 70 people injured.

The 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London which spread through cladding wrapping the building left 72 dead.

There have been 14,336 building assessments registered on the Safer Buildings website since it went live in August 2018.

During the past four weeks more than 4000 building assessments have been lodged according to the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.

The QBCC said the check list asked four simple question and was free of charge for building owners.

But it said more than 4300 building assessments had not completed Part 1. Of those who have, 76 per cent faced no further requirements.

Those owners who fail to lodge a Part 1 assessment by Friday not only faced financial penalties but would be required to engage in the Part 2 protocols which required further investigation by professionals to rule out dangerous cladding.

The Neo 200 apartment fire in Melbourne's Spencer Street last month was spread by cladding similar to that used in the Grenfell Tower blaze.

QBCC commissioner Brett Bassett said the commission would not let up on combustible cladding until the risk of a serious cladding fire in Queensland had been mitigated.

"Combustible cladding is a serious issue, as we have seen with another cladding fire recently in Victoria at the Neo200 building," Mr Bassett said.

That blaze on February 4 this year in Melbourne's Spencer St was spread by cladding similar to that used in the Grenfell Tower.

"Most buildings won't need any work done, but we have to check just in case, because safety is our priority," the QBCC commissioner said.

"I urge building owners to take care of their obligations under the law as a matter of urgency for the safety of building occupants."

Visit http://www.saferbuildings.qld.gov.au for more information about the combustible cladding check list.