An update from the Chief Executive
Since Cladding Safety Victoria was established last year, we’ve already met with well over half (300+) of the individual owners corporations to discuss how we’re going to work with you to fix the combustible cladding on individual buildings. We haven’t let COVID-19 slow our progress – we’ve continued to work proactively with each owners corporation to discuss individual requirements for each building in the program. Every building is different, and each has its own complexities, and these meetings are really important to discuss how we move forward with rectification.
To further assist owners corporations through this process, we’re also appointing an Independent Project Manager (IPM) to manage the rectification process for each building. The IPM will work closely with owners corporations to help guide you through the process to ensure rectification works occur smoothly. The IPM will work closely with Cladding Safety Victoria’s Customer Liaison Officers who will be your very important key contact with us.
I’m proud to say that we’ve completed in-depth technical inspections on over 160 buildings in the program. As a result of COVID-19, we put in a range of safety measures and continue to work closely with contractors to ensure that this progress doesn’t slow. The safety of workers and residents is forefront, and as such we are using appropriate PPE for physical inspections which have been conducted from outside apartments only due to COVID-19.
We’ve got a clear plan in place for the rectification of over 70 buildings in our program and this number continues to grow. Once plans are in place, we then appoint a builder. Works are already underway for some buildings and many more will be underway in the coming weeks and months.
A message about fire safety
With people working and staying at home more frequently due to current advice about Coronavirus, it is important that residents understand and practice fire safety. We’ve got information on our website about practical things residents can do to reduce the risk of fire, and now is a great time to remind them of this.
In addition, it is important to remember that owners corporations are responsible for the maintenance of a building’s Essential Safety Measures (ESMs). We’ve also got information about this on our website to help you.
Where to next?
For eligible buildings, Cladding Safety Victoria will reach out to each owners corporation to discuss the next steps. Each owners corporation will have a point of contact at Cladding Safety Victoria in the form of a Customer Liaison Officer, so for those owners corporations, please reach out if you have any questions. For other owners corporations who may have questions about the program, Cladding Safety Victoria has a support line which can be reached Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5:00pm by phoning 1300 456 542. Alternatively, please visit the website for more information and to access the information about fire safety and ESMs: www.vic.gov.au/cladding-safety.
We’ll be providing further updates about the progress of the program and answer questions as they arise, so please keep an eye out for further information.