Page 3994 - Week 11 - Wednesday, 20 September 2017
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The construction of the new Centenary hospital buildings was always compliant with the relevant national standards and was certified and tested by the ACT fire brigade but, in light of changing circumstances and with new evidence having been presented to ACT Health and through the recent Senate inquiry, Minister Fitzharris has taken what I think is the right and additional step of committing to replace the panels at the Centenary hospital as a precaution. This will occur in a time frame that is practical and in a way that does not create any additional risk to the structure of that building. That goes to the point that I have heard some suggest the panels should just be pulled off right now—and I am sure the minister will speak to this when she does speak—but I do not think that an appropriate solution is to just pull them off without having replacement panels ready.
For those reasons that I have outlined in my comments, the Greens believe that the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children is safe, and we are confident the government has been actively ensuring that any risks from aluminium cladding in buildings across the territory is assessed and responded to.
We will be supporting the government’s amendment to this motion and believe that the information provided under clause 2 provides greater transparency and reassurance for Canberrans around how and why these decisions were made and advice that informed them.
On that point, I think it is also important that we do call out the tactics that have been used by the opposition, and I have seen it in some media commentary in relation to this issue over recent weeks. Certainly I think the opposition has tried to position this as some sort of scare campaign, suggesting that Canberrans are not safe at the Centenary hospital. I have seen no evidence to support that assertion. I think it is unfortunate. I think it is poor judgement, that there seems to be a desire to generate some fear about this in our community to advance what can only be some sort of political agenda, and I condemn that strategy.
You cannot come in here and suggest that the Centenary hospital is some sort of fire trap. And that has very much been the tone of some of the lines of questioning in this place.
I think the minister has been quite clear on the reasons why the composite panelling needs to be removed. New information has identified that it can enhance fire risk. But the minister has been very clear in making the point that the Centenary hospital has a range of other fire protection measures, and that has been detailed in the comments that Minister Gentleman has made today. I have heard the minister make those points in question time and in media comments. I think we need to be realistic about what the issue is here, and that is why I think the response is appropriate.
Concerns have been raised about this cladding, and it is prudent to remove it because, as best I understand it, it can accelerate a fire once it occurs. I go back to the comments I made. The fire rating of a building goes to a whole lot of factors and materials that are used, how they are positioned, near exits and the like. So I think it is entirely consistent to be able to say, “This is quite a safe building.”
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