Combustible cladding fears for dozens of Melbourne buildings after Spencer St tower fire
Notices warning people not to throw cigarette butts from balconies of a CBD tower had been ignored, as residents face being shut out of the building for up to two weeks.
VIC News
Don't miss out on the headlines from VIC News. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Notices warning people not to throw cigarette butts from balconies of a CBD tower had been ignored, as residents face being shut out of the building for up to two weeks.
The City of Melbourne has issued more orders to ensure crucial safety measures are restored in the building that had a serious cladding fire on Monday.
“These include fire and emergency measures such as smoke detection, smoke control, sprinkler systems and emergency warning systems,” the council said.
In the best case scenario, residents will be able to return to the Neo200 building in Spencer St next week.
TOWER RESIDENTS LOCKED OUT AFTER BLAZE
BLAZE BUILDING EARLIER DEEMED ‘MODERATE FIRE RISK’
But the state Opposition wants the government and council to provide emergency accommodation for all residents.
“The City of Melbourne’s decision to extend the emergency order for another 14 days ... shows there is clearly a very serious problem with dangerous cladding on Victorian apartments,” Opposition Planning spokesman Tim Smith said.
Some residents were scrambling to get to the tower on Wednesday afternoon to pick up belongings before a 7pm deadline, when it was closed pending completion of repairs.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said people were only given five minutes to collect essential items.
“If you are out for two weeks, you need more than five minutes to pack up your stuff,” he said.
The government has provided more than $100,000 in emergency relief to those who had to leave their flats.
They received one-off payments of $540 per adult and $270 per child. By Tuesday night, 125 payments had been made.
Department of Health and Human Services staff working in a relief centre at Melbourne Town Hall have been giving residents debit cards that can be spent on food, clothes, medicine and accommodation.
“Cladding is a complex issue that will take time rectify, but we’re working across government to keep residents informed and safe,” Planning Minister Richard Wynne said.
Neo200 owners corporation chair Rona Gowans said notices had been placed in foyers and lifts, warning people to tidy their balconies to avoid creating fire hazards.
She said another sign was posted in January urging people not to throw cigarettes over the railings after many people complained of finding their balconies littered with butts.
“You can have all these wonderful notices saying don’t do this and don’t do that. People simply don’t want to read them,” she said. “It’s very frustrating. There’s so little we can actually do.”
The Metropolitan Fire Brigade said the fire was most likely sparked by a cigarette butt that landed on a pile of clothing on a 22nd-floor balcony.
ROOM ‘WAS SMOKING’
Early investigations showed units between floors 22 and 27 suffered significant fire and water damage, as well as floors above and below.
“It is likely that residents of these apartments will not be able to return to their property for a longer period as extensive rectification works are required,” the council said.
Tourist Eleri Kask was escorted by torchlight to her level 23 room.
“It was smoking and the carpet was all wet,” she said. “It was worse than I thought.”
MFB assistant chief fire officer Trent Curtin said fire authorities were concerned some residents were unaware their buildings had potentially dangerous cladding, and there were “a range of unsafe activities” in some overcrowded Melbourne towers.
“There are a large number of beds (up to 10) in those apartments which we would say would be inconsistent with the use of these buildings,” he said.
“Balcony fires are not uncommon and it is possible we will have a fire like this in the future.”
The Herald Sun has also revealed the Andrews Government has failed to appoint a state building inspector it promised more than a year ago to crack down on the use of dangerous cladding in the wake of London’s deadly Grenfell Tower fire.
The Opposition said it “beggars belief that this important appointment still hasn’t been made”.
It comes as City of Melbourne and other agencies investigate overcrowding.
During inspections after the fire, the Municipal Building Surveyor observed that some apartments had more beds than would otherwise be appropriate.
It is illegal for apartments to be separately rented to more than four people without being a registered rooming house, yet Melbourne apartments shared by up to 10 people are being publicly advertised on sites such as Gumtree.
A number of Gumtree sellers appear to be managing a network of illegal share rooms.
RESIDENTS STILL LOCKED OUT
City of Melbourne says it is likely to take more than 48 hours for the building to be declared safe to occupy because of the extent of damage to the building’s essential safety systems.
The city’s Municipal Building Surveyor issued an emergency order at 1.45pm Monday as a first response after investigations found the fire had impacted the building’s ‘essential safety measures’.
The council has-reopened the emergency relief centre at Melbourne Town Hall to support people affected by Monday’s fire.
The relief centre will close at 6pm tonight and will re-open at 10am tomorrow.
The council arranged security for the building and measures were taken to ensure nobody was given access on Tuesday night.
The emergency order states the fire impacted safety measures including air handling (smoke control) system, smoke detection and occupant warning system, the fire indicator panel and the sprinkler system on several levels in the building.
The fire started on the 22nd floor and spread to the 27th floor.
Early investigations revealed several apartments on those floors had been significantly affected by fire and water damage, as well as floors above and below.
Residents of the worst affected apartments are likely to be barred for an extended period.
CLADDING FEARS
The MFB today called for potentially dangerous cladding to be removed on all buildings higher than three storeys.
Specialist investigators will test exactly what type of cladding is on the Neo200 tower. Results would be known in a few days.
Mr Curtin said the MFB had serious concerns not all residents were made aware their building was a high fire risk because of cladding.
“I think there is plenty of evidence to suggest residents don’t currently have the information they need,” Mr Curtin said.
“The MFB is concerned there is a range of unsafe activities in buildings.”
He said the MFB was working with building owners to ensure residents knew about the risk of storing combustible material around airconditioning units and on balconies.
“Balcony fires are not uncommon and it is possible we will have a fire like this in the future,” he said.
But Mr Curtin did not support the creation of a public list that identifies high-risk buildings out of fear they could be targeted by arsonists or terrorists.
In a press release at the end of 2017, the State Government vowed to appoint a new cladding inspector who would be a “leading expert to provide the very best technical knowledge” to “take action on cladding”.
WHY WE’RE WITHOUT CLADDING INSPECTOR
Opposition planning spokesman Tim Smith asked Planning Minister Richard Wynne in parliament on Tuesday if and when the position had been filled.
Mr Wynne said the government had been involved in “very extensive negotiations” to appoint the inspector, and that the Victorian Building Authority was “considering actively that question”.
“When we have resolved those questions, I will advise the member accordingly,” Mr Wynne said.
Mr Smith said later that it “beggars belief that this important appointment still hasn’t been made”.
“Instead of regularly chest-beating about the last election, this Labor Government should be focused on getting the basics of their job done like telling these residents of high-rise buildings with flammable cladding if their homes are unsafe,” he said.
Tenants of the Spencer St tower are being offered hardship payments as they continue to be locked out of their apartments.
Melbourne Council is meeting with the building’s owners corporation to work out the next steps, given the council’s order to keep it closed for 48 hours.
Corporation general manager Ablo Jalloh said a statement might be released later this afternoon.
The council’s relief centre at Town Hall on Swanston St remains open.
A council statement said personal hardship assistance payments provided by the Victorian Government were available “to help eligible people experiencing personal and extreme financial hardship after an emergency or natural disaster”.
“Emergency relief assistance is available for up to seven days after the event if you are unable to access or live in your home because of an emergency,” it says.
“Emergency Relief Assistance is available to assist those affected by the fire. It provides a one-off payment of up to $540 per adult and $270 per child (up to a maximum of $1890 per household/family).”
The Andrews Government will push for a national crackdown on dodgy cladding imports at a building ministers’ conference on Friday.
It can be revealed the Neo200 tower has suffered at least two other non-cladding fires since 2009.
The builder also constructed Docklands’ Lacrosse tower, which had a serious cladding fire in 2014.
The cladding on the Spencer St building was the same as that on Grenfell Tower, which caught fire in 2017 killing 72 people.
Apartment owner Eddie Wang said he was not aware of the combustible cladding at the building.
“They need to remove it straight away and make it safer,” he said.
Resident Lai Chin, who had lived at the complex since 2008, was also oblivious. “I had no idea. It’s pretty scary,” he said.
More than 2000 buildings across Victoria believed to have flammable cladding have been audited by the Victorian Building Authority, with 60 privately owned structures considered to have the highest risk of fire.
A total 384 government buildings were on the list, with 21 posing a higher risk. At least eight hospitals had non-compliant cladding.
Neo200 was classified as a moderate fire risk because of its flammable cladding. Its owners corporation was issued with building improvement notices last year.
Work was done to improve fire safety measures, including installing smoke alarms in bedrooms near the cladding.
Victorian Cladding Taskforce co-chair Ted Baillieu said removing cladding was a slow process because of all the interests involved and the litigation undertaken by various parties.
“We are fortunate indeed we didn’t have any tragedy today, and that the systems largely worked well to evacuate,” he said.
WEATHER TO EASE PRESSURE FIGHTING VIC BUSHFIRES
Planning Minister Richard Wynne will push for a national crackdown on dodgy cladding imports at the inter-government meeting this week.
Mr Wynne said he had put cladding issues on the national building agenda since 2015, but the federal government had gone missing on the issue.
“The federal government needs to step up and make sure combustible cladding is detected and stringently monitored,” he said.
“We need tighter building certification laws across the country — this is a national problem and needs national solutions.”
Federal Minister for Industry, science and Technology Karen Andrews said the fire was extremely concerning.
“Public safety is always the top priority when it comes to building regulation, and our compliance and enforcement systems need to be very robust,” Ms Andrews said.
“While I am relieved residents at the Spencer St high-rise apartment building were safely evacuated, I recognise the impacts these events have on residents, owners and the wider Australian community.”
Builder LU Simon won the Master Builder Association’s “excellence in construction” award for Neo200 in 2008.
Asked about Monday morning’s fire, a spokeswoman for LU Simon said: “We are not in a position to comment as we have not received sufficient information or any official reports.”
Company searches reveal the original developer of the project was Everest Project Developments, which went into external administration in May 2007, when works were “well advanced”, according to legal papers.
Four months later, Becton Property Group acquired control and completed the development.
But just six years later, Becton Property Group, went into limited receivership after it defaulted on its $95 million debt.
Legal woes even embroiled the Everest Project Developments after it collapsed.
The case is currently being used as an example for those buying off the plan apartments.
WHY OCCUPANTS REFUSED TO FLEE FIRE
Residents of the Neo200 tower on Monday revealed flats in the 41-storey high-rise were being used as illegal rooming houses.
One landlord, who did not give his name, said he had seven people living in his two-bedroom flat.
“There are two guys in my living room — it’s illegal but I need the money,” he said.
“My girlfriend and I live in one bedroom and three girls live in another.
“It’s quite overcrowded.”
The CBD complex has 371 flats, with bedrooms in share houses listed for as little as $160 a week.
RESIDENTS FLEE AS FIRE RIPS THROUGH APARTMENT TOWER
‘DANGEROUS’ CLADDING ON THOUSANDS OF VIC BUILDINGS
PROPERTY LOST: LATEST UPDATES ON VICTORIA’S BUSHFIRES
An ad for a housemate boasts that the kitchen has with modern appliances and the living room is spacious enough to accommodate six people.
“Unlike other share-houses, no one lives in the living room and (it) can be enjoyed,” the listing said.
“Gym, spa, pool and BBQ facilities are also included in the apartment’s facilities.”
It is believed firefighters evacuating the building were surprised at the number of people in some flats.
Several residents told the Herald Sun thatoverseas students and foreigners on working holidays make up a significant portion of residents.
Long-term residents also live in the Neo200 building.
At the time of the fire, several refused to leave the tower despite advice from firefighters.
Another long-term resident said the tower’s overcrowded flats were a “tinderbox”.
He said he once saw six people asleep “piled on top of each other” in the living room of one flat.
“The problems with overcrowding aren’t exactly secret,” the resident said.
“It was like an episode of hoarders. There were shoes piled up everywhere, I’ve never seen anything like it.
“It was an accident waiting to happen.”
MFB assistant chief fire officer Trent Curtin said he was “pretty concerned” some residents ignored firefighters’ directions to evacuate.
Mr Curtin also said many smoke alarms had been covered with plastic, making them useless.
“It’s my understanding that occupants have taken some plastic and wrapped it around the smoke alarm so as to stop it from activating in case of cooking or other products of combustion in an apartment,” he said.
“Anyone who covers a smoke alarm with plastic is putting themselves and other occupants of the building in danger.”
Thomas Rumble and Gabby Angelone were on the 27th floor and said they only realised what was happening when they heard sirens.
Mr Rumble said he could smell smoke but was oblivious to the scale of the fire.
“Our fire alarms weren’t going off,” he said.
“We didn’t hear any alarms until we were about halfway down the stairs.”
He said they caught a glimpse of the unfolding fire and saw “flames leaping from balcony to balcony”.
He said the alarm system needed to be reviewed.
“They have to look at that. It’s pretty worrying. It was just an eerie silence in the stairwell.”
— with Aneeka Simonis
‘Angels’: Hero Coles workers save mum’s life
A mother of three has opened up on how her life was saved after she suddenly collapsed while doing a routine supermarket shop.
Wildlife and traffic fears over music festival
Wildlife advocates fear a weekend music festival in central Victoria will endanger native animals including rescued joeys.