Anstey Square apartments Brunswick ordered to remove dangerous cladding

A BRUNSWICK apartment building which caught alight in March has been ordered by a state taskforce to urgently remove dangerous cladding — but residents won’t be relocated.

The Anstey Square apartment block at 601 Sydney Rd, Brunswick, has been ordered to remove dangerous cladding from around fire hydrants and hoses.

A BRUNSWICK apartment building has been given an immediate building order to reduce risks from dangerous cladding.

Moreland Council’s municipal building surveyor today announced that the Anstey Square building at 601 Sydney Rd was the first building to produce a risk rating that required an immediate building order.

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Residents are not required to evacuate the 105-apartment/retail complex, but works to remove flammable cladding from around fire hydrants and hoses must occur within two months and additional sprinklers must be installed on each balcony within three months.

The building was the site of a fire which spread from one balcony to another floor in March this year and was one of the triggers for the State Government’s Victorian Cladding Taskforce.

The taskforce began working in July with the council as part of the pilot program, checking 156 buildings in the municipality with 123 requiring a more detailed audit.

High-rise buildings across Melbourne, including the Lacrosse building at Docklands, have faced scrutiny in the wake of the Grenfell Tower tragedy. Picture: Scott Barbour

The Anstey Square building was assessed in conjunction with experts from the Victorian Building Authority, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade and fire safety engineers from the Victorian Cladding Taskforce.

Moreland chief executive Nerina Di Lorenzo said the council would continue to work with the State Government to ensure the safety of residents.

“(We) have issued this order as a firm step towards reducing the fire risk in this building,” Dr Di Lorenzo said.

“I thank the Minister for Planning for providing the taskforce and hope it can continue in some form beyond Christmas to make sure the remaining buildings are properly assessed.”

Dr Di Lorenzo said staff would be rostered over the weekend to speak with residents and that information was available at moreland.vic.gov.au