Non-compliant materials

6 June 2015

The Victorian Building Authority is contacting building practitioners – including architects – to identify the possible use of non-compliant building material in the construction of buildings in Victoria.

This is part of an investigation by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) into the “the conduct of the building practitioners involved in the construction of the Lacrosse Apartments”, following the report from the Melbourne Fire Brigade (MFB) on the fire in the Lacrosse Apartmenets in Melbourne.

The VBA reports that:

The MFB’s investigation found that the cause of the fire was due to an unextinguished cigarette on a balcony… The MFB also found that the external cladding used in the construction of the Lacrosse building had not been tested to comply with Australian standards and contributed to the spread of the fire.

A dedicated phone line – 136 186  – is available for anyone who is uncertain whether external aluminium cladding material on their building is compliant.

The VBA says that “If any other buildings are identified with the incorrect use of non-compliant cladding product, the VBA will work with the local council and relevant building surveyor to resolve the issue.”