Victoria takes world’s toughest stance on flammable cladding

The Victorian government has today banned high-risk combustible cladding in a bid to reduce fire risk.

Planning Minister Richard Wynne announced flammable aluminum composite panels and rendered expanded polystyrene are banned from use as external cladding on apartment buildings, hotels, aged care facilities and other residential buildings of two or more storeys.

Urban planner and managing director of Clement Stone Town Planners, Bill Kusznirczuk, welcomed the move.

“It’s fair to say Victoria has been at the forefront of trying to push other states and territories throughout the country to support the view that this product should be banned,” he told Dee Dee.

Mr Kusznirczuk said there were several reasons why high risk cladding came into use.

“In some cases people didn’t know how to use it, in some cases it was just clearly not fit for purpose … and it some cases it was used by people because it was cheap,” he said.

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