The Private Buildings Cladding Scheme is administered by Major Projects Canberra, and includes financial and practical assistance for owners corporations to remediate combustible cladding.
Combustible cladding has been used on apartments and other buildings within the ACT and may pose an unacceptable fire safety risk. The level of risk posed will depend on several factors, including:
- the type of cladding used and the way it is fixed to the building;
- the total coverage of the cladding on the building;
- where it is located on the building; and
- existing fire safety systems on the building.
Testing and assessment of the cladding should help the owners corporation:
- confirm whether the building has combustible cladding (testing of cladding);
- understand the level of safety risk to residents of the building by the presence of combustible cladding (assessment of risk);
- understand the scope of any remediation works which may be required to reduce the risk to residents to an appropriate level;
- understand the full costs and time likely to complete the works; and
- understand any interim fire safety measures that should be implemented in the building while remediation works are completed
To be eligible for a Concessional Loan for remediation, owners corporations will usually need a Comprehensive Testing and Assessment Report.
Financial assistance for testing and assessment
The ACT Government provided owners corporations of eligible apartment buildings a rebate of the costs of having the cladding on their building tested and assessed.
Applications for the rebate closed on 21 July 2022.
Owners corporations who have successfully obtained a grant had until 21 December 2022 to submit their testing and assessment report.
If owners corporations have not had their cladding tested and are concerned they have combustible cladding, they should consider obtaining advice from a fire engineer. A list of fire engineers is available on the Register of Suppliers.
Financial assistance for cladding remediation
Through the Private Buildings Cladding Scheme, owners corporations of eligible buildings can access a low-interest loan to engage suitably qualified service providers to remediate combustible cladding.
Visit the Concessional loan page to find out more about the loan and eligibility.