Green light for safe structures: Flammable cladding removal commences in NSW
The NSW government has achieved a breakthrough in the flammable cladding nightmare that has haunted many of the state’s apartment owners for years.
Project Remediate, a billion-dollar cladding remediation program of the government, started this October with the first cladding removed for investigation from a Darlington apartment block. This is a giant leap for the project to keep it on track in achieving its goal of removing flammable cladding from NSW’s eligible high-risk residential apartment buildings by the end of 2023.
“Today is the start of a critical program that has been years in the making. So much careful work has been done behind the scenes to reach this point, and we are now ready to fix a problem that has been burdening owners for a long time,” the Minister for Better Regulation, Kevin Anderson, proudly announced.
To make the program attractive to owners, the project offers no-interest loans, free expert program management, and guarantee that the remediation work will be accepted by insurers once done. In addition, the scheme will result in the creation of 3,440 additional employment in NSW.
And this is why Mr Anderson is encouraging owners to opt-in the program: “A project of this magnitude is all about strong foundations and momentum, and we have plenty of both, but it is not too late for eligible buildings to be a part of Project Remediate. I encourage owners of corporations still considering Project Remediate to register their interest as soon as possible, so that work can commence.”
Furthermore, Mr Anderson said that the NSW government has been working since March to assemble a team of experts, including enlisting top specialists in the field to oversee the work.
So far, more than 155 buildings are registered for remediation.
David Chandler OAM, NSW Building Commissioner, attested to this, saying that the program was put up using a consistent strategy to ensure that owners’ interests are given top priority.
“Cladding removal and building remediation is not just about taking off a piece of cladding and replacing it with another. It’s an opportunity to get a thorough up-front investigation and assessment of the building to determine what is needed to do the job properly,” Mr Chandler added.
Expounding on the process, Mr Chandler explained that the materials obtained throughout the assessment process would be investigated by Project Remediate’s managing contractor Hansen Yuncken, and global façade consultant ACOR will provide expert engineering and architectural guidance on the optimum remediation approach for each building.
In closing, Mr Chandler pointed out the meticulous process involved in coming up with the best remediation solution: “There are many factors to take into consideration during remediation, including the role the previous cladding played with regards to weatherproofing, wind resistance, durability, thermal insulation and aesthetics, and the work taking place today will lay the framework for the entire physical remediation.”
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