Brisbane-based <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/red-co">Red &amp; Co Developments</a> has officially launched its $250million COMO apartment development in Varsity Lakes, while simultaneously commencing construction.&nbsp;

Building work is now underway at COMO following the appointment of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/builders/5point-projects">5Point Projects</a> as contractor to deliver the boutique development which will rise on a 2857 sqm site overlooking Lake Orr at 22 Lake Street.

When completed, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/como-varsity-lakes-22-lake-street-varsity-lakes-qld-4227">COMO</a> will comprise 156 apartments across 16 levels located in the heart of Varsity Lakes.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135546 project_image_fid=363515]

The project, which will sit alongside Bond University, will deliver a diverse array of apartment designs comprising one-, two- and three-bedroom residences that have already attracted interest from local and interstate investors as well as an array of owner occupiers looking to gain a foothold in the precinct.

Red &amp; Co, which has largely focused on the Brisbane market in recent years where it has delivered more than 500 apartments and townhouses across 26 projects, has designed COMO to combine tranquil, lakeside living with the vibrant urban convenience of the vibrant Varsity Lakes village.

“We’re thrilled to announce a start to construction of COMO in conjunction with the official launch of the project, our first for the Gold Coast,” said Red &amp; Co Director and Co-Founder David Laverty.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135546 project_image_fid=363509]

“COMO is superbly positioned to capture the essence of the Varsity Lakes village lifestyle and its thriving café and dining precinct, while delivering a much-needed diverse supply of premium residences for the local market.

“Pre-launch inquiries have been strong among both local and interstate investors and owner-occupiers, including downsizers and upgraders who appreciate the value proposition that COMO represents.”

Prices at COMO start from $1,000,050.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135546 project_image_fid=363511]

Designed by <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/architects/bda-architecture">BDA Architecture</a>, the COMO development incorporates an extensive range of amenities for residents including a 25-metre rooftop lap pool, sundeck, barbecue and dining areas, as well as multiple rooftop pickleball and paddleball courts, a wellness and activity centre, gym, sauna, plunge baths and landscaped gardens.

“COMO presents a rare opportunity to secure a stylish, lifestyle-focused home in one of the Gold Coast’s most sought-after neighbourhoods,” added Laverty.

“The rooftop will be the epicentre of fun for residents with an array of amenities for residents that are quite unique for a boutique project such as this, all while offering spectacular vistas across the Gold Coast as far north as Southport and south to Burleigh.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=135546 project_image_fid=363514]

&nbsp;

Red &amp; Co has chosen the Varsity Lakes site for its proximity to top-tier schools, major shopping hubs, such as Robina Town Centre and its CBD offering, as well as key Gold Coast transport links, including Varsity Lakes Train Station.

COMO will be located just a short walk to shops, cafes and restaurants in Varsity Lakes and just a 10-minute drive to the Burleigh Heads beachfront.

With construction currently underway, Red &amp; Co anticipates COMO will be completed in 2028.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=135546]

Joel Robinson

Red & Co to launch debut Gold Coast development Como Varsity Lakes as construction commences

Longstanding Gold Coast developer Raptis has acquired a prime development site on Surf Parade for its next Broadbeach apartment project.

Progressing towards completion of <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-sterling-broadbeach-6-8-george-avenue-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Sterling Broadbeach</a>, 90 apartments on nearby George Avenue, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/raptis">Raptis</a>, led by second-generation family man Evan Raptis, has picked up a block on the corner of Surf Parade and First Avenue.

The site had been earmarked for a luxury apartment project with 33 full-floor apartments across a 37-storey tower. Raptis will go back to the drawing board and create a building more appropriate for the site. The development application will be lodged later this month.

Evan Raptis told Apartments.com.au the site ticks all the boxes.

"Broadbeach is a suburb we've developed several buildings over the years. Surf Parade ticks all the boxes for the type of apartment development we want to deliver."

Raptis had several pre-lodgement meetings with council to ensure they are aligned in the development.

<img alt="Raptis" data-entity-type="file" data-entity-uuid="f0d58573-07a4-47a8-9f5e-fbf35fb03dc3" src="https://s3.ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/inline-images/Screenshot%202026-03-05%20at%204.58.23%E2%80%AFPM.png?VersionId=iczZEd_4_o4UL0PHMPJGfy_q3tv96J5i" />

Surf Parade has emerged in recent years as one of the most popular streets in Broadbeach for development.

South East Queensland developer Mosaic Property Group kicked it off with Marella by Mosaic. Bassar Group sold out Infinity on the street, while for its&nbsp;first Gold Coast development, Polycell grabbed a Surf Parade site for <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-rochester-broadbeach-143-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Rochester</a>, which is nearly sold out.

Melbourne-based developer Hirsch &amp; Faigen recently launched its fourth Gold Coast project on the exclusive strip. The Eveleigh Broadbeach will have 100 apartments across a 31-storey building designed by Rothelowman.

GV Property Group site development specialists Antonio Mercuri and Luke Reaby, who both amalgamate sites and sell shovel-ready sites to developers up and down the Gold Coast, sold Surf Parade to Raptis.

Raptis secures prime Surf Parade site for next Broadbeach apartment development

Less than two years after breaking ground, Gardner Vaughan Group is celebrating the topping out of Bask, its second development in the exclusive coastal enclave of Bokarina on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast.&nbsp;

Located only minutes from the beachfront, the two seven-storey luxury apartment towers, known individually as Mydas and Caretta, offer a selection of one-to-four-bedroom residences with views of Lake Kawana, the Glasshouse Mountains, and Bokarina Beach.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333359]

Gardner Vaughan Group Commercial Director Sam Gardner said the milestone marks the home stretch for construction, with first residents expected to be able to move in from Spring 2026.&nbsp;

“This is a significant milestone in bringing this development to life and represents our confidence in this region’s long-term growth and appeal,” Gardner said.&nbsp;

“With 85 per cent of apartments already sold, buyers are joining an established, coastal village that offers the very best of the Sunshine Coast – seasonally patrolled surf beaches, renowned restaurants, and links to established health and retail.&nbsp;

“The final collection of three- and four- bedroom apartments range in size from 127sqm to 300sqm, each with two or three secure car parks and storage, and with construction fast approaching completion we don’t expect the last few apartments to remain on the market for long.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=333362]

Local restaurateur Luke Stringer, who co-owns and manages the award-winning Bocca Italian and Playa Mexican restaurants in Bokarina, has lived in the beachside suburb for 18 months and worked there for more than three years, and said the beachside suburb was thriving.&nbsp;

“It’s fair to say Bokarina is finally stepping into the sun and there’s a lot to love about the place,"&nbsp;Stringer said.

"It’s such a great community, where you see the same smiling faces every morning and everything’s within easy reach – it’s the perfect hub in the middle of the Sunshine Coast.

“When we first opened Bocca Italian, we were the lone restaurant, but it’s been amazing to see how the area has grown. The more venues that open, the busier it gets for everyone. When Playa Mexican opened its first Saturday night, Bocca had a record night and Playa was packed too, which blew us away how everyone is thriving.&nbsp;

“There’s a great energy around the place now, and people are really embracing Bokarina as a food and lifestyle destination.”&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=363368]

Stringer joined other buyers at Bask Bokarina and the Gardner Vaughan Group team to celebrate the topping out at a special event in February.&nbsp;

Located in Kawana Waters, midway between Caloundra and Maroochydore, Bokarina locals enjoy scenic walking paths around Lake Kawana, playgrounds, beachfront boardwalk and parklands, alongside all the convenience of a masterplanned beachside community.&nbsp;

“You see people jogging or swimming in the morning, then grabbing coffee at the cafes, people are really embracing the area and all this growth is bringing more people to Bokarina,” Stringer added.&nbsp;

To take advantage of the vistas, each of the 135 apartments at Bask is designed with full size windows and high ceilings that provide an abundance of natural light.&nbsp;

Prices for the remaining three-bedroom apartments start at $1,599,000 and four-bedroom apartments start at $3,149,000.&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=141609 project_image_fid=363369]

The mixed-use development also features ground-level retail space for cafés, dining options and boutiques, including the soon-to-be-opened ‘Corner Shop’, by the team behind Noosa’s well known ‘Organika’.

Sam Gardner said Gardner Vaughan Group’s 37-year history building and developing across South East Queensland has contributed to the success of its second development in Bokarina, which follows the recently completed Zinc Apartments.&nbsp;

“We care how people live and this is reflected in the way we approach the design and delivery of every development,” he said. “Furthermore, as a builder-developer we have full control over the construction program and our 100 per cent completion rate is something people can draw confidence from.”&nbsp;

Founded by civil engineers Guy Gardner and Darryl Vaughan in 1989, the family-owned business has evolved from a consultancy firm to an award-winning builder-developer, with projects across the Sunshine Coast, Moreton Bay, Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=141609]

Gardner Vaughan Group tops out Bask Bokarina apartments

Prolific Melbourne developer <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a> has launched its fourth new Gold Coast development in as many years.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/developers/hirsch-faigen">Hirsch &amp; Faigen</a>, led by Daniel Faigen and backed by Eddie Hirsch, co-founder of United Petroleum, has unveiled The Eveleigh, on a prime 1,100 sqm site at 7-9 Surf Parade in the heart of Broadbeach.

<a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/the-eveleigh-broadbeach-7-9-surf-parade-broadbeach-qld-4218">The Eveleigh</a> will deliver 100 apartments across 31 levels, making it the company’s largest Gold Coast project to date. It builds on the success of its three earlier developments, <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/hemingway-1267-1273-gold-coast-highway-palm-beach">The Hemingway in Palm Beach</a> and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/buildings/emerson-kirra-100-musgrave-street-coolangatta">The Emerson at Kirra</a>, both completed, and <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/yves-mermaid-beach-7-9-mermaid-avenue-mermaid-beach">Yves Mermaid Beach</a>, which is nearing completion.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360966]

The announcement of The Eveleigh affirms the company’s sustained confidence in the Gold Coast market which continues to remain undersupplied. It also increases the value of Hirsch &amp; Fa​igen’s Gold Coast development portfolio to more than $700 million since the company first entered the market in 2021 with Hemingway.

The company has enlisted its preferred architecture firm Rothelowman to design The Eveleigh, which will offer a thoughtfully curated lifestyle, including a substantial wellness precinct, communal recreation areas, children’s play spaces, work-from-home facilities, and shared lounge and dining areas.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360965]

Designed for the prime market demographic of downsizers and interstate lifestyle investors in mind, The Eveleigh has been crafted to offer an increasingly rare blend of affordable luxury in a tightly held market. Uniquely positioned in the heart of the Gold Coast’s most sought-after lifestyle suburb of Broadbeach, the project will also boast uninterrupted beach and hinterland views.

The Surf Parade site is just a short walk to the bustling Broadbeach dining and retail precinct, Pacific Fair, The Star Gold Coast and convention centre, and an easy stroll to Kurrawa Beach and the recreational amenity of Pratten Park on the Broadbeach foreshore.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=149670 project_image_fid=360975]

“We’re excited to be proceeding with our fourth project on the Gold Coast in what is certain to become the new luxury precinct in Broadbeach,” says Anthony Bueti, the CFO of Hirsch &amp;a​mp; Faigen and a shareholder of the group.

“With the likes of Mosa​ic and Abedian &amp;a​mp; Co also launching quality projects in the area, the transformation will cement Broadbeach as the premier lifestyle and amenity suburb on the Gold Coast.

"After four years in the Gold Coast market, and with three successful projects completed, The Eveleigh is the product of everything we have learned to love about the Gold Coast and it will be an incredible addition to our growing portfolio in one of the most vibrant property markets in the country. We continue to remain very confident in the high-end Gold Coast property market.”

Urban Activation Director Matt George is handling sales for The Eveleigh, having sold out The Emerson, The Hemingway, and Yves, all before construction was completed.

Melbourne builder MAXCON has already commenced construction on The Eveleigh. They are forecasting a mid-2028 completion.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=149670]

Hirsch & Faigen unveils The Eveleigh in Broadbeach

Two years after securing development approval for the final stage of its award-winning Thornton Precinct on the doorstep of Penrith Station, Urban Property Group is set to launch <a href="https://www.apartments.com.au/new-apartments/mayfair-on-penrith-172-lord-sheffield-circuit-penrith-nsw-2750">Mayfair on Penrith</a>, around 400 apartments designed to reflect two of Sydney’s most iconic structures.

The builder-developer has continued refining the design plans for the two-building development on a significant 8,280 sqm site on Sheffield Circuit, recognising the importance of the prime parcel as one of the closest developable sites to the station.

UPG enlisted architecture firm SJB to design the project. The team said they drew inspiration from both the General Post Office in Martin Place and East Circular Quay to help shape the design. The two-level colonnade, in particular, reflects the famous GPO building, which dates back to the 1860s.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136726 project_image_fid=362014]

There will be one-, two-, and three-bedroom apartments on offer, with interiors by Cox Architecture. Residences will sit above a retail podium featuring hospitality and lifestyle operators such as One Playground and Volcano’s Steakhouse, contributing to an activated ground plane within the broader Thornton precinct.

A communal rooftop with a pool and views towards the Blue Mountains will provide shared open space for residents. The development is positioned between Ron Mulock Oval and Westfield Penrith, with the Nepean River and Great River Walk also nearby, placing daily amenity and green space within walking distance.

&nbsp;

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136726 project_image_fid=362015]

Mayfair is being delivered by Urban Property Group, a family-owned developer and builder with nearly 40 years’ experience across Sydney. The project will be the first in Penrith to be offered with Resilience Insurance’s 10-year Latent Defects Insurance (LDI) policy, which Urban Property Group has adopted across a number of its recent developments. The developer also has a 4.5-star iCIRT rating, one of the best ratings in market providing further confidence to buyers.

Urban Property Group CEO Patrick Elias said providing additional assurance to off-the-plan buyers has become increasingly important.

“Anything we can do to give confidence in our product is a plus,” Elias told Apartments.com.au.

“Consumers are a lot more weary and a lot more concerned in buying off the plan than they ever have been. They’re making their single large investment, which is their home, and providing confidence is something that we feel is paramount.”

[smartcode_project:default project_id=136726 project_image_fid=362020]

The LDI policy provides a 10-year warranty covering structural defects, with independent inspections carried out during construction and protection for owners if defects arise post-completion.

Mayfair represents Urban Property Group’s sixth and final development within Thornton, consolidating the masterplanned precinct immediately east of the station.

The developer, which builds its own projects, has already commenced construction. SRM Residential is handling the sales campaign.

[smartcode_project_cta:default project_id=136726]

Urban Property Group to close the curtain on award-winning Thornton precinct with Mayfair on Penrith release

Cladding Rectification

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NSW Minister for Better Regulation Kevin Anderson has today announced a major milestone for Project Remediate with the release of an independent report outlining four safe and non-flammable product categories that represent the first tranche to replace high-risk cladding.

Mr Anderson said the four categories had been recommended by the experts of the Cladding Product Safety Panel as part of Project Remediate, the NSW Government’s billion-dollar program to fast track the removal combustible cladding on 214 high-risk residential buildings.

“Thanks to our panel of experts we’ve now identified four, safe, options that can be specified for use as part of the Government’s replacement program,” Mr Anderson said.

“We are taking the lowest possible risk approach to fire safety. That’s why every component we are recommending in the first tranche will have to meet the highest fire safety standard under the Building Code of Australia. The system includes fixings, brackets, and insulation, and will also need to be completely non-combustible.”

Mr Anderson said the project would also appoint a single façade engineer who will provide guidance and quality assurance of the cladding system design on every building remediated by the Government.

“Homeowners need to be confident their building will be rectified with systems that are safe. That’s why we will also be requiring products and systems in each of the recommended categories to have demonstrated independent fire testing before they can be specified in designs under this program,” Mr Anderson said.

Chair of the Cladding Product Safety Panel Professor, Mark Hoffman said the panel would be giving further consideration to additional products and systems but only after more rigorous independent testing is completed and demonstrated.

“There may be additional systems that can safely include elements with some combustibility. The panel will consider submissions relating to these but to date, we have not been provided with robust data from independent accredited labs which tests both the product and the system,” Mr Hoffman said.

Four system categories are considered acceptable replacement options for Project Remediate, subject to additional design requirements. These categories are:

<ul>
<li>Solid aluminium panels installed with cavity barriers and fire-proof mechanical fixings</li>
	<li>Solid metal sheets installed with cavity barriers and fire-proof mechanical fixings</li>
	<li>Fibre cement panels installed with cavity barriers and fire-proof mechanical fixings</li>
	<li>Non-combustible cement render.</li>
</ul>
“It is time to get the job done. We expect to commence assessment and project design for the first batch of 30 buildings by July this year, with the first cladding removed in late 2021,” Mr Anderson concluded.
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Thanks to our panel of experts we’ve now identified four, safe, options that can be specified for use as part of the Government’s replacement program

jordan_55689

Report outlines 4 safe non-flammable cladding products

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EXPERT INSIGHT

Australia has <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/19491247.2021.1893119">more than 3,400</a> buildings with flammable cladding. In Victoria alone, at least 71 of these buildings <a href="https://theurbandeveloper.com/articles/cladding-safety-victoria-ceo-appointed">have been classified</a> as “extreme risk” and another 368 as “high risk”. Despite the <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/oct/26/director-at-grenfell-tower-tmo-describes-how-fatal-cladding-saved-800000">tragic evidence</a> of the <a href="https://theconversation.com/lacrosse-fire-ruling-sends-shudders-through-building-industry-consultants-and-governments-112777">risks</a> of <a href="https://theconversation.com/cladding-fire-risks-have-been-known-for-years-lives-depend-on-acting-now-with-no-more-delays-111186">cladding</a> fires, rectification work had been completed on only <a href="https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/secrecy-around-cladding-hit-list-attacked-as-spin-after-signs-reveal-dozens-of-sites-20210219-p573yr">11 of these buildings</a> by February 2021.

The estimated cost of making these buildings safe is <a href="https://theconversation.com/flammable-cladding-costs-could-approach-billions-for-building-owners-if-authorities-dither-118121">in the billions</a>. State governments have provided limited funding to rectify the highest-risk buildings. Occupants of lower-risk buildings have largely been left to fund the work themselves.

We know from previous building industry failures like the leaky homes crisis in <a href="https://www.stuff.co.nz/business/116236850/the-rottenomics-of-the-47-billion-leaky-homes-market-failure">New Zealand</a> and <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/bc-leaky-condo-crisis-1.4609418">Canada</a> that the impacts go beyond the repair costs.

In two recently published research papers, we explore the impacts on occupants’ finances and well-being of owning and living in apartments with flammable cladding in Australia. We interviewed 16 owners and investors from Victoria, Queensland, Western Australia and ACT.

[smartcode_project:default project_id=31257]

What costs are owners facing?

The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/19491247.2021.1893119">paper</a> published last week looked at the accumulating financial costs beyond the rectification work. Participants revealed these costs include:

<ul>
<li>
	special levies, to cover rectification costs
	</li>
	<li>
	higher owners’ corporation fees
	</li>
	<li>
	rising insurance premiums
	</li>
	<li>
	legal fees
	</li>
	<li>
	fixing other fire safety defects, such as sprinklers
	</li>
	<li>
	possible loss of property value.
	</li>
</ul>
As one occupant said:

“We’ve (owners’ corporation) had to put the levies up and then we’d have rates of special levies for the legal fees and the fire engineer’s report as well […] And we still got the cladding on the building.”

The financial burdens on households have influenced major and minor life decisions. One participant said:

“I really want to retire in two years […] how will I be able to pay for all of this (cladding rectification)? I don’t know […] It might be the case that I then have to actually sell a defective unit.”

How are owners coping?

Our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/02673037.2021.1887458">second paper</a> explores the effects on owners’ well-being. They reported frustration, concern and anger. Some in higher-risk buildings feared for their safety. Some said this range of long-term negative emotions was harming their mental health and well-being.

All owners were very disappointed that building industry-related professions and the government could allow this to happen. This was compounded by the realisation that their building warranty was mostly useless in this situation:

“And then you find out that the warranty is worth very little, and you have to then deal with the builder who’s engaged in dishonest practices essentially […] The kind of builder we had, it’s the kind of builder that would very much just disappear his company, and recreate to avoid any liability.”

Some expressed serious concerns for people’s lives because of the financial stresses the crisis had caused:

“There’s one lady who’s even worse off than me. She’s absolutely beside herself. She doesn’t know what’s she’s going to do […S] he’ll probably go insane or kill herself or something. Seriously […] she is so distraught about this all.”

Policy change needed to improve support

Our research clearly shows apartment owners are feeling the impacts of much more than just the direct rectification costs. Support to help people cope with these broader impacts is lacking. A similar lack of wider support was identified in the building defect crises in New Zealand and Canada.

Recent developments include a Victorian <a href="https://www.propertyobserver.com.au/https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-01/victorian-ban-on-combustible-cladding-comes-into-effect/13107218">ban on flammable cladding</a> on all new multi-storey buildings and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/feb/09/ministers-to-increase-financial-support-for-cladding-removal">extra government funding for rectification work</a> in the UK. The Victorian government is <a href="https://www.vic.gov.au/find-out-about-cladding-safety-victorias-program">contributing A$600 million</a> towards the cost of rectifying some higher-risk apartments. In New South Wales, the government is <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/customer-service/projects-and-initiatives/project-remediate">providing interest-free loans</a> to help owners in an estimated 225 buildings.

NSW has also begun work on building industry <a href="https://www.nsw.gov.au/building-commissioner/news/a-better-future-a-better-industry">reforms</a> to:

<ul>
<li>
	improve regulations, with new powers, processes and audit practices for the regulator
	</li>
	<li>
	use a system to rate building risk that links past practice, finance and insurance records so consumers are protected from risky projects and practitioners
	</li>
	<li>
	improve procurement methods with major changes to contracting, declared design requirements, and sign-off processes/stages
	</li>
	<li>
	improve building skills and capabilities through professional education, development, responsibilities and certification
	</li>
	<li>
	develop digital systems to modernise and harmonise the industry.
	</li>
</ul>
These are clearly good steps forward. But governments and the building industry need to do more to provide broader support and protection for the affected households. As our research shows, they are suffering financially on a number of fronts and all the while the crisis eats away at their well-being.

Government policy on housing defects has focused on the cost of fixing these defects. The other indirect financial costs, such as increased insurance, and effects on well-being, have been neglected. Future policy must reduce the risks of more crises such as combustible cladding and, if there is a crisis, consider all the financial costs owners bear as well as the need to support their well-being.<img alt="The Conversation" casgev6pv="" ffbm2w6r6="" height="1" kb3entpod="" src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/157307/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-basic" style="border: none !important; box-shadow: none !important; margin: 0 !important; max-height: 1px !important; max-width: 1px !important; min-height: 1px !important; min-width: 1px !important; opacity: 0 !important; outline: none !important; padding: 0 !important; text-shadow: none !important" width="1">

<a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/trivess-moore-12580">Trivess Moore</a>, Senior Lecturer, School of Property, Construction and Project Management, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>; <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/david-oswald-1218862">David Oswald</a>, Senior Lecturer in Construction, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>, and <a href="https://theconversation.com/profiles/simon-lockrey-207247">Simon Lockrey</a>, Senior Lecturer in Industrial Design and Research Fellow, <a href="https://theconversation.com/institutions/rmit-university-1063">RMIT University</a>

This article is republished from <a href="https://theconversation.com">The Conversation</a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a href="https://theconversation.com/only-a-small-fraction-of-buildings-with-flammable-cladding-have-been-fixed-and-owners-are-feeling-the-strain-157307">original article</a>.
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In Victoria alone, at least 71 buildings with flammable cladding have been classified as “extreme risk” and another 368 as “high risk”

urban.com.au

Only a small fraction of buildings with flammable cladding have been fixed, and owners are feeling the strain

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In July earlier this year, Apartments.com.au <a href="/news/cladding-rectification-victorian-government-announces-new-fund-to-fix-hundreds-of-unsafe-homes">reported on the announcement</a> of the Andrews Labor Government funding scheme to help hundreds of vulnerable Australians who are living in a home that has been constructed using hazardous aluminium composite cladding. Today, the Building Amendment (Cladding Rectification) Bill 2019 is being brought into effect and will see the State investigating those accountable for the hazardous cladding, and cover any costs associated with rectification.

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/1506cladding729px.png" rel="gallery-all" title="Credit: Jamie Brown"><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="430" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/1506cladding729px.png?itok=MT0dMFk9" title="Credit: Jamie Brown" width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Credit: <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/politics/victoria/builders-to-blame-for-bad-cladding-will-now-be-chased-through-courts-20191015-p530qn">Jamie Brown</a></figcaption></figure>Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne commented that apartment homeowners should not have to endure the time, hassle and expense of dealing with building compliance issues which were caused “at no fault of their own”.

<blockquote>
“…They shouldn’t have to deal with the cost and stress that court action can mean – so we’re pursuing wrongdoers on their behalf.”
</blockquote>

- Richard Wynne, Minister for Planning

<figure><a class="colorbox colorbox-insert-image" href="https://res.cloudinary.com/dz9xllyip/image/fetch/q_auto:good/https://s3-ap-southeast-2.amazonaws.com/www.urban.com.au/s3fs-public/pictures/article-images/20181026001368175751_otvzf8.jpg" rel="gallery-all" title="Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne. Photo credit: Wayne Taylor "><img alt="" class="image-article-full-width-580px" height="290" src="/s3/files/styles/article_full_width_580px/public/pictures/article-images/20181026001368175751_otvzf8.jpg?itok=0VTAutDl" title="Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne. Photo credit: Wayne Taylor " width="580"></a>

<figcaption>Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne. Photo credit: Wayne Taylor</figcaption></figure>A staggering $600 million has been allocated for Cladding Safety Victoria’s extensive project, where they aim to treat over 500 at-risk buildings (potentially more) over the course of five years. Any fines charged to accountable building practitioners will likely be reinvested into the rectification budget.

Mr Wynne also shared that the team were disheartened to learn that the Commonwealth Government would not be supporting their initiative,

<blockquote>
“Combustible cladding is a national problem and we’re disappointed the Commonwealth Government has decided not to be part of the solution here in Victoria.”
</blockquote>

- Richard Wynne, Minister for Planning

To date, the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) have suspended two builders and surveyors over the installation of non-compliant cladding and nine show cause notices have been issued.

Lead image credit: <a href="https://www.mbav.com.au/news-information/news/economyfinance/victorian-government-announces-600-million-package-cladding?">Master Builders Victoria</a>
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Olivia Round

New cladding rectification bill introduced today: Victorian Government helps home owners affected by combustible cladding, despite lack of national support

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