New Regulations have been passed in response to the tragic fire at Grenfell Tower in London in 2017.
Under the Regulations, owners of certain buildings with external combustible cladding are required to register their building with the NSW Government through an on-line portal.
For buildings occupied prior to 22 October 2018, the deadline for registration is 19 February 2019. Owners of new buildings will be required to register their building within four months of the building first being occupied.
What is External Combustible Cladding?
Certain types of cladding can burn rapidly if it catches fire. Problems with metal composite panels and insulated cladding systems relate mainly to multistorey buildings because of the potential for rapid fire spread via the external areas of the building. These products can ignite easily and melt at relatively low temperatures.
It is important to note that the presence of external combustible cladding on a building does not necessarily mean it is a fire hazard. It depends on where the cladding has been applied and the building’s overall fire safety measures.
The new regulations apply to:
Class 2 – apartment buildings two storeys or higher (most strata apartments)
Class 3 – other accommodation buildings where people sleep, two storeys or higher (hotels, motels, boarding houses, backpackers, residential parts of schools or accommodation buildings for children, the elderly or people with a disability
Class 9 – aged care buildings, health care buildings, hospitals and days surgeries, public assembly buildings where people gather for social, theatrical, political, religious or civil purposes.
The new regulations do not apply to:
Classes 1 & 10 – houses and non-habitable buildings or structures
Classes 5, 6, 7 & 8 – offices, shops, factories, warehouses, carparks, commercial buildings (these buildings may be included later)
