As Victoria shifts to a future free of dangerous combustible cladding practices, many building owners and owner’s corporations feel left in the dark surrounding their rights and responsibilities.

While it can be a complicated process, having a combustible cladding specialist explain the process can be helpful in alleviating some of the concern and uncertainty involved.

What to do if you receive a building notice

Victorian authorities are currently in the midst of a statewide building cladding audit for multi-storey buildings, including apartment buildings and hotels. When these buildings have been identified as comprising a dangerous level of combustible cladding, a building notice is issued.

If you receive a building notice, it’s likely to inform you of the fact that your façade or other areas of the building contain a level of combustible cladding that has been deemed dangerous and unsuitable for occupation. Upon receipt of a building notice, you must immediately begin preparations for cladding rectification.

Possible further communication

If you do not comply with the building notice issued, it’s possible that you may be issued a Building Order. Much more serious, this document could stipulate that your building must be evacuated, receive further testing or even prohibit entry. We recommend responding to a building notice to engage in engineer compliance before it comes to this step.

Non-compliance risks

Once an owners corporation has been informed of the risks of the building, it is essential that you engage with a building cladding rectification specialist. If not, you could risk being implicated for any incidents that occur after a Notice or Order is received. Once these documents have been placed in your hands, the ownership of the building takes on liability for criminal negligence in the case of a fire.

Rectification

Depending on the non-compliant materials on every specific building, owners corporations may be able to address their cladding in a two-step process. Often any serious areas that pose an immediate threat to life and limb will need to be rectified upfront. From there, a second phase may be undertaken to create a long-term plan for total building rectification.

Finding a rectification building partner

Locating a building partner that you trust to carry out the rectification work will be crucial. Maz Group has ample experience in the removal and replacement of combustible cladding. We design every project, fabricate our own materials, deliver products with our own truck fleet and install compliant cladding ourselves. Working to cover the entire rectification process from start to finish, our job is to remove the stress and confusion from these projects for building owners and those who inhabit the buildings.

If you need help recladding your building, contact the experts in cladding replacement at Maz Group today to discuss your building project or receive a quote for recladding services.