Council will conduct an audit of apartment buildings to identify potential fire risks following the recent, tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in London.  

Council will investigate the presence of aluminium cladding in buildings, a highly flammable material that is believed to have caused the rapid spread of fire at Grenfell Tower.

An MFB report also found that the same cladding was used in the Lacrosse Building at Docklands, which caught fire in 2014.

Council’s audit will focus on multi-storey buildings in Yarra that are less than 25 metres high and not legally required to have a sprinkler system. 

Council will work closely with the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB), Victorian Building Authority (VBA) and other organisations to develop an inspection program.

Council’s audit follows on from an audit previously conducted by the VBA, which assessed 170 buildings in Melbourne for non-compliant cladding. As part of that audit, 51% of buildings were found to be non-compliant.

The VBA audited 5 buildings in Yarra and found two buildings with non-compliant cladding.

Of those two buildings, one has since been brought into compliance and the other, considered not to be dangerous, is the subject of ongoing work between the VBA and the private building surveyor.

In addition to completing the audit, Council will advocate to the VBA and State Government for stronger building legislation to ensure appropriate safety measures – including approved cladding -  are implemented. 

For further information about the audit, please contact Council’s Municipal Building Surveyor on 9205 5555.