State Government orders audit of buildings for flammable cladding in wake of deadly London fire

A NEW taskforce will search public and private buildings across Queensland for flammable aluminium cladding in the wake of major building fires across the world.

A NEW taskforce will search public and private buildings across Queensland for flammable aluminium cladding in the wake of major building fires across the world.

The Queensland Government’s Audit Taskforce will start by targeting buildings made between 1994 and 2004, when they believe much of the cladding may have been used.

Local Government certification records and public tip-offs will be used to help identify potential targets.

As reported by the Gold Coast Bulletin, thousands of commercial buildings, shopping centres, car dealerships and residential high-rise buildings feature external aluminium cladding — but builders say without lab testing it is virtually impossible to tell whether it has a flammable polythene core.

The Bulletin revealed 18 months ago that two high-rises were clad with the sheets, but Queensland’s Building and Construction Commission would not reveal which ones due to “privacy reasons”.

Lacrosse Tower in Docklands where developers used flammable cladding, causing a fire which was started by a cigarette butt.

Government agencies have sent samples of cladding from Brisbane’s Princess Alexandra Hospital for testing after a tip it may not conform to Australian Standards of use.

Minister for Housing and Public Works Mick de Brenni said the taskforce would comprise officers from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, Housing and Public Works, and the Queensland Building and Construction Commission.

He said the audit would start with hospitals and aged care facilities, accommodation buildings, high occupancy public and private buildings and high rise office buildings.

“The Audit Taskforce will begin by examining buildings constructed when use of these products was relatively new,” he said.

The charred remains of cladding are pictured on the outer walls of the burnt out shell of the Grenfell Tower block in north Kensington, west London. AFP PHOTO

Fifteen officers from QFES and QBCC will be assigned to the Taskforce, with staffing expected to increase as the audit ramps up.

A senate inquiry was set up in 2015 after fire roared up a Melbourne apartment building in just 11 minutes, forcing the evacuation of all 400 residents and causing $5 million damage.

The inquiry received more than 140 submissions but was stalled after repeated extensions and a Federal election.

Opposition Leader Bill Shorten today threatened to make building cladding a political issue after being told by frontline workers it is only a matter of time before Australia has a high-rise fire disaster.

Anyone with information about the use of nonconforming cladding can contact the QBCC on 139 333 or got to the inquiries area on the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services website at www.qfes.qld.gov.au.