Cladding fire risk: Labor calls for action on Hobart’s risk in the wake of recent events

Thousands of Tasmanian lives are being put at risk by the State Government’s inaction to address Hobart’s cladding fire risk, says Labor.

Smoke shrouds Hobart. Picture: Zak Simmonds

THOUSANDS of Tasmanian lives are being put at risk by the State Government’s inaction to address Hobart’s fire risk, Labor says.

Opposition Police, Fire and Emergency Management spokeswoman Jen Butler said Tasmania has trailed other states in acting on buildings with combustible cladding and said urgent action was needed.

Polyethylene core aluminium composite panels were blamed for the severity of the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London which killed 72 people, as well as fires in two Melbourne apartment towers.

The Victorian Government last year announced a $600 million package to fund rectification work to make 500 buildings safe.

Ms Butler said an audit of buildings in Tasmanian bushfire-prone areas was “a no-brainer”.

“If we’ve learned anything from this summer’s devastating bushfires, it’s that we must invest in reducing bushfire risk,” she said.

“Understanding whether a building has combustible cladding on it would be a fundamental part of effective fire preparedness for homeowners, and inform their decision on whether they could successfully defend their home from bushfire.

“The Government continues to trail other states in acting on combustible cladding, which is putting thousands of Tasmanians at serious risk.”

Jen Butler at the opening of Parliament. Picture: MATHEW FARRELL

It comes after a recently released University of Tasmania report by pyrography and fire expert David Bowman found about two thirds of Hobart residents feared bushfires breaking out where they live.

The State Government in 2018 released summary details of a combustible cladding audit of 43 Tasmanians buildings which found the Launceston General Hospital had significant fire risk.

The locations of the other buildings were not revealed.

Hobart Lord Mayor Anna Reynolds said Tasmanians deserved to know the full list of audit findings including the sites of the 42 remaining buildings.

“I have heard rumours of buildings in the City of Hobart that were identified as medium to high risk in the audit, but this detailed information has not been provided,” she said.

“I think we should all be working together to reduce the risk that this cladding may pose to buildings and residents.

“There seemed to be a larger number of buildings identified in other states. Is that just good luck on our part or perhaps the Tasmanian audit of only 43 buildings was too narrow.”

A State Government spokesman said “Tasmania is better prepared than ever before for bushfires”.

“All buildings are flammable and appropriate risk assessment and management is always important, and in the case of the buildings identified in last year’s aluminium composite panel cladding audit, that risk is considered low,” a spokesman said.

“Our advice is that the TFS is fully prepared and can deploy appropriate tactics to deal with firefighting in tall buildings, including those that have a diverse range of flammable materials, such as aluminium composites.

“The Government’s Fuel Reduction Program has a good working relationship with Hobart City Council and under the program, burns around Hobart and surrounding suburbs have resulted in a 25-50 per cent and 50-75 per cent bushfire risk reduction in these areas.”