Cladding Remediation Partnership Program

The program focuses on assisting owners of buildings where combustible cladding is present, but presents a lower risk. Through this program, councils will be supported by Cladding Safety Victoria to manage the remediation process with clear policy around how cladding risk is assessed and a procedure for how risk can be addressed.

Supporting this is the Minister’s Guideline (MG-15) and the Cladding Risk Mitigation Framework.

Read more about the program, guideline and framework on the Department of Transport and Planning’s website.

Risk-based approach to cladding intervention

Cladding Safety Victoria is making great progress in identifying and replacing dangerous combustible cladding on buildings found to be at highest-risk across the state. Since the program was announced by the Victorian Government, CSV has worked with hundreds of owners corporations who are at various stages in the program.

With a solution now in place for the highest-risk buildings, which are being funded and fixed by CSV who is working with owners, it’s now time to deal with the remaining buildings where combustible cladding is present, but presents a lower risk. These buildings need a response that is proportionate, measured and consistent. And because any work on these buildings will need to be funded by the owners, the aim is to reduce risk in the most cost-effective way.

Leveraging the learnings from CSV’s program and with the expert assistance of regulators, Municipal Building Surveyors, policy makers, external practitioners and academics, including CSIRO Data61 and RMIT, CSV has implemented a process for identifying practical solutions to address the risk posed by cladding on these lower-risk buildings underpinned by the Protocols for Mitigating Cladding Risk. This is in keeping with the Victorian Government’s decision to apply a risk-based approach to cladding intervention. CSV’s approach, informed by science and evidence, is backed by a Minister’s Guideline (MG-15) and the Cladding Risk Mitigation Framework (CRMF) that requires an MBS to consider CSV’s risk-based assessment and mitigation proposal for each building. The Guideline applies to all MBSs in Victoria. For more information about MG-15 and the CRMF please visit the Department of Transport and Planning's website.

This approach has been internationally peer-reviewed and is widely supported. CSV have confirmed the status of all Class 2 and Class 3 buildings identified as potentially at risk and sorted those that require action from those that do not. These buildings have further been broken down on a council-by-council basis.

Owners are provided with advice and practical help from CSV and the relevant local council to implement the remediation work proposal in each case where this is necessary. Affected owners will be contacted by Cladding Safety Victoria who are working in partnership with MBSs across Victoria.

Watch a video below to explain how Cladding Safety Victoria is working with councils and owners.

Note to Fire Safety Engineers

The Cladding Risk Mitigation Framework (CRMF)(opens in a new window) and the Protocols for Mitigating Cladding Risk (PMCR)(opens in a new window) have been developed by Cladding Safety Victoria (CSV) for particular use by building owners and building surveyors.

These tools guide the development of Remediation Work Proposals (RWPs) to address the risk posed by the presence of combustible cladding on Class 2 and Class 3 buildings in Victoria. These tools are intended to support the development of consistent responses to cladding risks across Victoria without the need for costly consultant analyses.

Where a fire safety engineer is engaged to provide an expert opinion or to report in respect to the preparation of a RWP, or otherwise in respect to combustible cladding on a building, fire safety engineers should, as a matter of good engineering practice, ensure they consider and apply the CRMF and PMCR when preparing and providing their advice. This will ensure the utility of that advice where building surveyors are required to have regard to the CRMF and PMCR in connection to certain buildings affected by combustible cladding under Minister's Guideline 15(opens in a new window). This is consistent with the approach of Engineers Australia's Society of Fire Safety Practice Guide - Façade/External Wall Fire Safety Design, which provides that any frameworks developed by the States and Territories “should be followed in their entirety and would take precedence”.[i]

More information

If you are an owner and have questions about a building notice, please contact your local council directly.

Otherwise, you can contact Cladding Safety Victoria.