Defective Buildings & The Cladding Crisis
2 Formal CPD Points

The cladding crisis continues to affect thousands of owners of strata apartments across Australia. States are dealing with this in different ways. Victoria has implemented a funded scheme that is designed to assist strata corporations to make their cladding safe, but progress in states other than Victoria has been slow.
 
The ‘Project Remediate’ scheme in NSW provides interest free loans to Strata Councils but responsibility for implementing the scheme has been transferred to the authorities that approved the buildings in the first case, mainly local councils.
 
The Federal government has said this is a problem for the states, even though defects in the National Construction Code (NCC), which is coordinated by the Federal Government, caused the problem in the first place.
 
Unlike the UK, which has introduced rules requiring ‘waking watches’ in affected buildings, there has been little intervention in relation to ACP clad residential buildings in Australia, despite the strong evidence that a cladding fire can develop extremely rapidly.
 

This webinar brings together a group of engineering, legal and design experts who will:

• Compare the structure of the schemes in place across Australia

• ·Advise on the technical challenges of meeting the competing requirements of appearance, safety, durability, and compliance.

• Consider the regulatory pitfalls that have crept to the surface as “new and better” regulations come into force

• Suggest strategies for those serving on Owners corporations and their advisors

• Provide firsthand feedback on some of the surprises discovered behind the cladding once it is removed.

• Advise on the status of insurance claims and liability issues for architects, builders, and construction professionals.

• Provide an update on the NSW Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020. Look at how the new provisions are working in practice since their implementation from 1 July 2021 and looking specifically at the remedial industry, what is the impact of the new obligations on remedial practitioners performing remedial works on strata buildings.

Cost to attend is $90 per person plus GST. Save 10% when you buy 2 or more tickets. Purchase includes access to live studio recorded webinar, course notes, MP4 recording of the session and CPD certificate

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Tim Womack
Apex Diagnostics, Sydney

Tim is a Structural and Façade Engineer and the Managing Director and founder of Apex Diagnostics Pty Ltd. Tim’s background has included 17 years at Arup leading teams on structural engineering of major buildings and infrastructure before moving into the specialist field of diagnostic engineering and building façade design. By considering both physical and commercial risks to building owners, Tim is able to develop solutions that are practical, cost effective and respond directly to the commercial drivers of the project. Tim’s true love is remaining hands-on in the field. As an IRATA Level 3 Rope Access Technician, Tim has significant experience in carrying out complex investigations of some of Australia’s most iconic buildings and structures in difficult access situations. 

Helen Kowal Partner, Swaab Lawyers, Sydney

Helen has a legal career which has spanned over 27 years in general practice. For the past 12 years, she has specialised in building, construction, property, and strata. Helen has worked for many owners’ corporations, developers, and builders in every facet of building and construction law within all jurisdictions. Over the past few years, in her practice, Helen has been involved in various matters regarding the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 and the Design and Building Practitioner Regulations 2021 and the new obligations under this legislation for building practitioners, design practitioners and engineers after 1 July 2021. In particular, Helen is working closely with remedial building practitioners and remedial industry bodies as to the implications of the legislation on the remedial sector. 

Professor Geoff Hanmer
ARINA, Sydney

Geoff is an Adjunct Professor of Architecture at the University of Adelaide, an Honorary Professional Fellow at UTS and the Managing Director of ARINA, an architectural consultancy. Geoff is a registered architect and a writer on construction and buildings both contemporary and historical. He has been following the issue of ACP cladding and rectification since the Grenfell Tower disaster and has been involved in researching the regulatory failures that led up to the Lacrosse and Neo200 fires. He has been writing about building failures since late 2018 when the extent of the problem became public knowledge. He believes that governments, which created the regulatory problem over ACP panels, have a duty to assist owners to resolve their problems. He has taught and researched construction at UTS and at UNSW for over 20 years. He was involved in the ABC-TV 7:30 Report program on building defects: 'Buyer Beware’ which is available here 

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Natasha Stojanovich

Partner, Lander & Rogers Lawyers, Melbourne

Natasha handles complex disputes involving construction professionals. Over the years, she has acted for numerous architects, engineers and building surveyors as well as property valuers and real estate agents. She has also acted for local councils, government departments and various statutory authorities and has extensive experience defending professional indemnity claims against councils. Natasha has extensive experience in claims involving non-compliant building products, including flammable cladding. Natasha has considerable experience handling litigation in the Federal, Supreme and County Courts, as well at VCAT. Natasha was recognised in the 2019 Legal 500 rankings in the category of insurance. She is also recognised in The Best Lawyers in Australia for her expertise in Construction / Infrastructure Law and Insurance Law.

CPD Learning Outcomes - at the conclusion of this webinar attendees will be able to:

1. Explain the impacts of various facade cladding materials on recladding projects
   Design: Schematic Design 4.6
   

2. Describe two methods for managing latent risks in recladding projects.
   Documentation: Documentation 6.5
   

3. List the government agencies involved in cladding replacement in Victoria, NSW, Queensland & SA and describe key differences.
   Documentation: Detailed Design 5.3
   

4. List three strategies to pre-empt legislative obstacles to minimise delays in a recladding project.
   Design: Conceptual Design 3.4