CANBERRA Liberals leader Elizabeth is calling on the ACT government to set a target date for the removal of combustible cladding in Canberra, following what she describes as “years of inaction”.

In a motion she will put forward in the Legislative Assembly today, Ms Lee will also call on the government to finalise and publish details of the combustible cladding remediation loan scheme by June 30, as well as undertake a comprehensive audit of any residential building not yet tested by September 30.

Ms Lee said the ACT government has known about combustible cladding as a pressing issue since the Grenfell Tower Fire in 2017, but five years on has “failed to make any real progress.”

“Despite announcing in July last year the ACT government will finally begin providing assistance for residential buildings in Canberra, almost a year on the Minister has failed to provide any concrete details of the remediation loan scheme,” said Ms Lee.

“The need for urgent action has been continually raised by owners, corporations and strata managers but the ACT Government has shown no interest in prioritising this issue.

“Due to government inaction, some owners have been forced to take active steps to remove combustible cladding and commence remediation work without any support or certainty.”

The motion will call on the government to waive development application fees for cladding remediation works and establish a dedicated team within the planning directorate to fast track development applications for remediation works.

Flammable cladding removed from Canberra school