MC Square Doncaster: Manningham Council to spend $1.8m on cladding works

A council in Melbourne’s east will spend $1.8m to replace panels at its community hub, and ratepayers will pick up the bill. This is why.

Manningham Council is being forced to spend big on replacing outdoor panels at MC Square in Doncaster, after flammable cladding was found. File Picture.

Ratepayers will be slugged millions of dollars to replace panels on the outside of a community hub in Melbourne’s east, three-and-a-half years after they were found to contain flammable cladding.

Manningham Council will spend $1.8m to install new panels at MC Square in Doncaster following a statewide audit by the Victorian Building Authority completed in early 2018.

The authority found combustible aluminium panels at the building, which is home to an art gallery, a library, a kindergarten and other community services.

Manningham Council will spend $1.8m to replace the outside panels on its MC Square building in Doncaster. File picture.

It spent $20,000 on an independent fire consultant’s report in April 2019, and advised the community in December 2019 that there was no immediate risk to users or visitors.

Councillors confidentially discussed its next steps at their June 29 meeting, and approved officers’ advice to replace all flammable cladding in the building.

Following questions from Leader, director of city services Rachelle Quattrocchi said the works would be carried out using $1.8m funding set aside in the council’s 2021-22 budget.

Ms Quattrocchi said the council would search for a contractor to begin the works in early 2022, works with the aim of completing them by the end of June.

She said the works would cause “some disruption” to services in the building, but it would not have to be closed or redesigned.

“The next phase of the project will be to undertake design and construction works,” Ms Quattrocchi said.

“Manningham Council will commence working with various stakeholders to program works

and where permissible, limit impact to users.

“Further works are planned at MC Square to improve security and emergency management arrangements to enhance the site’s existing safety measures.”