Page 2880 - Week 08 - Thursday, 17 August 2017
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morning that outlined the ACT government’s actions since the Grenfell Tower tragedy in the United Kingdom, I would like to provide members with an update on ACT Health buildings and the polyethylene aluminium composite panels, or ACPs. All new ACT Health buildings since 2008 have received a certificate of occupancy certification confirming that buildings have been constructed in accordance with the building regulations at the time of their relevant completion.
Since the Grenfell Tower incident ACT Health has been proactive in investigating any potential impact on ACT Health facilities and has conducted an internal desktop audit of all ACT Health buildings built and/or improved since 2008. This desktop review and a subsequent detailed independent assessment identified that there is one multistorey building at the Canberra Hospital, the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, that used ACPs as a facade cladding.
The facade cladding panels are decorative panels that have been installed above galvanised steel and watertight and fire-rated structures which complied with all relevant codes at the time of issue of the final certificate of occupancy and use. It is important to note that not all of the panels on the building contain the combustible polyethylene core that are a feature of these types of ACPs and that therefore not all panels on the Centenary hospital building will need to be replaced. The recommended approach is to remove only the affected polyethylene ACPs.
ACT Health has comprehensive emergency procedures in place at the Centenary hospital building, together with a robust fire suppression system, to respond to a fire emergency. In the unlikely event of a fire, with or without these panels, the building is designed to keep patients and staff safe by stopping the spread of fire. In parallel with planning work to remove the impacted facade cladding, ACT Health has conducted regular fire system checks, increased the frequency of emergency drills and is in regular contact with members of the Emergency Services Agency and the Access Canberra building regulator. These agencies have expressed no concerns about our ability to keep patients and staff safe in this building. But this is a hospital and we expect a higher standard. We want the public to have complete confidence, and we will remove the panels.
ACT Health has met with representatives of commercial services and infrastructure in the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate, the Justice and Community Safety Directorate, Fire & Rescue and Access Canberra, as well as internal clinical representatives, to discuss the draft report findings, cross-agency implications and operational implications for ACT Health. Preliminary planning and cost estimates for remediation works to affected parts of the Centenary hospital are currently underway, with the targeted completion date for works to be confirmed subject to the following known constraints: variations to delivery lead time linked to local and international demand for replacement materials; Australia-wide industry demand for facade installation services; weather conditions; and Centenary hospital operational constraints.
I want to assure the Assembly and the community that ACT Health is taking every reasonable precaution. ACT Health is working closely with hospital staff to boost fire preparedness at the hospital while plans for remediation are underway. The Canberra
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