Page 3987 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 20 September 2017
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(ii) the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire that destroyed 120 apartments and killed 80 people; and
(n) in September 2017, the Senate Economics References Committee recommended the Australian Government implement a total ban on the importation, sale and use of polyethylene core aluminium composite panels, also known as aluminium cladding, as a matter of urgency; and
(2) calls on the ACT Government to provide the Assembly in the first week of the October 2017 sittings:
(a) an update on planning and works to remove and replace aluminium composite panels at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children;
(b) a list of ACT Health buildings assessed for aluminium composite cladding and the findings of the ACT Health desktop audit;
(c) a copy of the Report ‘Combustible facade cladding—preliminary fire safety assessment ACT Health Procurement and Capital Works Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, Garran, ACT CA 170095’;
(d) an update on the audit of ACT Government buildings, including findings to date; and
(e) a report on issues raised by the ACT Government in 2009-2010 relating to the non-compliant use of aluminium composite panels and how the ACT Government ensures the fire safety of all buildings.”.
I propose to update the Assembly in the October sittings on a range of matters outlined in my amendments, including fire safety in ACT buildings. In the interim, I would like to take some time today to outline the types of products being discussed, relative safety risks and the processes already in place under the ACT building law to manage them. It is important, of course, in any debate that there is a good understanding of what the issues and associated risks are.
There are different types of cladding materials that include aluminium, and Ms Lawder has mentioned some of those here this afternoon. There is simple aluminium cladding, made up of only aluminium. This is not the material that has been the subject of recent media and reviews. There are also aluminium composite panels, which I will simply refer to as ACPs throughout my speech. These panels consist of two thin-coated aluminium sheets bonded to a non-aluminium core. There is a range of different cores. One of the most common types includes a mix of low-density polyethylene, PE, and mineral material to increase fire resistance. Different types of core, and different mixes of PE and mineral material, have different fire resistance properties. That is why some types of panels can be used in some circumstances and not in others.
Not all panels pose a risk to occupants or are unlawfully installed. The fire safety risks that we have been aware of and have alerted industry to over the years are not about all types of panels in every possible use. The risks are specifically about the non-compliant use of panels—that is, where they are not compliant with fire safety standards.
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