In July this year the Queensland Government authorised the Building and Other Legislation (Cladding) Amendment Regulation 2018 to come into force from 1 October 2018.
The regulation amendment, and others similar in other states, are in effect following London’s Grenfell Tower tragedy which highlighted the use of Aluminium Composite Panel (ACP) here in Australia.
Before this tragic apartment fire, the use of ACP was largely unmonitored.
What this means for Queenslanders is that building owners need to assess their buildings for the presence of ACP.
For many strata owners, this will help put their minds at ease about the fire risk of their home.
Please note: participation in the assessment process is compulsory. Failure to comply with the regulation can lead to fines. It’s not worth the risk to not partake in the assessment.
Buildings affected by this assessment process include:
- Any building of classes 2 to 9 (which covers basically everything residential and commercial other than houses); and
- Any building that had a building development approval issued after 1 January 1994 but before 1 October 2018 to build the building or alter the cladding; and
- Any building that is of Type Aor Type B construction (essentially buildings above two storeys)
For building owners whose building meet defined criteria, there will be a compulsory two-stage assessment process that will need to be completed.
For some buildings deemed to be high risk during Stage 2, a third stage will be necessary.
The assessment process and timelines
Stage 1 Deadline: 29 March 2019
If your building was built post-1994 you need to register and complete an online checklist via the QBCC by 29 March 2019 which will help identify whether the building is likely to have non-conforming cladding.
There is a maximum fine of 20 penalty units ($2,611) if you do not complete this stage.
If NO to ACP: then this needs to be registered with the QBCC website and the process ends. A record of action needs to be stored on the Body Corporate records.
If YES to ACP: then you need to proceed to Stage 2 of the process.
Stage 2 Deadline: 29 May 2019
Buildings identified in Stage 1 as having cladding must arrange for a building industry professional to advise the level of risk that is presented by the cladding.
Details of what defines a building industry professional are still to be finalised however licensed Building Certifiers and Accredited Fire Engineers will qualify as building industry professionals.
Stage 3 Deadline: 3 May 2021
This stage applies to buildings deemed to be potentially affected by combustible cladding through Stages 1 & 2. A building fire safety risk assessment by a Fire Engineer will be required.
Committees need to take action and formally appoint a provider to have Stage 1 completed by 29 March 2019. Compliance with this legislation is not optional. This process needs to be followed.
Do not delay preparing for the stage. You need to take into consideration the high demand placed on industry experts and their time availability.
If you are a customer of Smarter Communities, please contact your Community Manager who can provide further assistance.
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