Cladding Must Be Removed As 'a Priority'

CLADDING MUST BE REMOVED AS A PRIORITY

Cladding must be removed as ‘a priority’, Grenfell fire expert says

Flammable cladding must be urgently removed from Melbourne’s skyscrapers, says the engineer the British government turned to in the wake of the deadly Grenfell blaze.

Dame Judith Hackitt spent a year investigating Britain’s building regulations and fire laws after 72 people died in the devastating fire at the public housing tower in London.

Grenfell was covered in the same sort of highly flammable cladding that has now caught fire at two Melbourne towers, and Dame Judith says action needs to be taken quickly.

“With regards to cladding specifically in Victoria, provided it is clear what can and cannot be used, replacement of existing non-compliant material should be pushed as a priority,” she said. “The challenge will be who pays for the remediation.”

Dame Judith has found many similarities between the construction industries in Britain and Australia.

Last May, she told a House of Commons committee that there were extraordinary parallels. “They have exactly the same problems with the system; no enforcement, unclear standards and a race to the bottom,” she said.