Page157 - Week 01 - Thursday, 3 December 2020
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . 2020 Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
MR GENTLEMAN: Yes, that is correct. But these are matters that are to do with a psychological aspect for those who have dealt with trauma in the workplace, and it is important that we do the right work for them in a methodical and careful way.
MR HANSON: Minister, why is it taking so long to fix these safety hazards at the Belconnen traffic operations centre, given that they were first identified over two years ago?
MR GENTLEMAN: Some items have been remedied along the way. Other items are being remedied as we speak. But there are some larger aspects of the way the TOC operates that require further work. That is why we have funded some of that accommodation work and we will continue to look after the safety and wellbeing of ACT police operations.
MRS JONES: Minister, why is the safety of the accommodation for our police force not an urgent priority for this government?
MR GENTLEMAN: I do not agree with the premise of Mrs Jones’s question. It is a priority and that is why we have funded it.
Building—combustible cladding
MRS JONES: My question is to the Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction. Minister, in December 2019 your predecessor put out a statement saying that the government would start work on identifying the use of combustible cladding on private buildings in the ACT. On 27 August this year it was also reported that $2.5 million would be provided for the removal of combustible cladding from eligible private buildings. Minister, what investigation has the government conducted to establish the extent and risks of dangerous cladding in non-government buildings?
MS VASSAROTTI: I thank Mrs Jones for the question. You will note that the issue of cladding has been an issue of community concern. The government has been working on these issues. In 2019 an audit response team was established to look at these issues. There are two elements of the program, including a government program and a private sector program. The government program has been progressing, and I can provide details of that, but you have asked specifically about the private program.
We are creating a program to support the replacement of combustible cladding across private sector buildings. This is a two-stage voluntary scheme. It will look at the testing, assessment and potential rectification of cladding in private buildings that meet certain criteria. We are looking at part 1 as a testing and assessment phase, and at part 2 as a cladding rectification phase.
A project team within Major Projects Canberra has been established to progress the development of the eligibility criteria and the administrative processes, which are being finalised over the coming months. We are expecting information to become available over the first half of 2021. We are looking at focusing on the market
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . 2020 Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video