Page 4687 - Week 13 - Tuesday, 31 October 2017
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video
The LINCT group includes representatives of Housing ACT as well as the public housing renewal task force. There are also many community sector representatives, from ACT Shelter, Woden Community Service, Northside Community Service, COTA, One Door Mental Health, ACT Tenants Union, Australian Red Cross, EveryMan Australia, Mental Health Community Coalition ACT, and Oasis Youth Services.
It has been great to have such a diversity of expertise involved in this program. It is certainly working well for people who are residing in public housing in the ACT and who have an opportunity to have a new life in a new suburb and in a new home that better suits their needs.
Centenary Hospital for Women and Children—aluminium cladding
MS LAWDER: Madam Speaker, my question is to the Minister for Planning and Land Management. On 27 October 2017 you tabled a report on aluminium composite cladding, which, under the “deemed to satisfy” provisions of the National Construction Code, confirmed that “combustible materials cannot generally be located near or directly above a required exit so as to make the exit unusable in a fire and cannot constitute an undue risk of fire spread by the façade of the building”.
Minister, why were PE aluminium composite panels installed adjacent and above the discharge location of fire-isolated exits or other exits serving the public areas of the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children?
MR GENTLEMAN: The reason that they were installed at the time was that they were fit for purpose. The detection of those panels has been a matter for Health. They have advised that they will be replacing those panels, particularly in areas close to access and egress. We want to go the extra step. That is what the Canberra community expects us to do in an area such as the Canberra community hospital.
The presence of cladding in itself does not present a fire safety risk. We need to look at the use of the product and the treatment and identify the situation where it is used. In fire safety, we need to look at a number of different elements such as the building construction product and whether the sprinklers are there. These issues are assessed before a building is deemed to satisfy fire safety conditions.
MS LAWDER: Minister, who was responsible for approving the installation of the PEACPs onto the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children?
MR GENTLEMAN: While I do not have the detail of that in front of me, I would imagine the certifier would have approved. Indeed, certification documents would have been provided to the ACTPLA for documentation.
MRS JONES: Minister, how long will it be until replacement work is completed at the Centenary Hospital for Women and Children?
Next page . . . . Previous page . . . . Speeches . . . . Contents . . . . Debates(HTML) . . . . PDF . . . . Video