During Question Time today, Labor’s Minister for Planning, Richard Wynne, was asked why flammable cladding covering a childcare centre in Hughesdale hasn’t been removed, given the Andrews Labor Government rated it as a high risk property for almost a year.
The best the Minister could answer was to give the assurance the child care centre is not fully covered but only 26% to 50% covered in dangerous combustible cladding.
This is the same childcare centre described as a high risk by the Victorian Building Authority, and described as “a danger to life” by Monash Council.
When it comes to the Victoria’s cladding crisis Dick Wynne’s order of priority for removing cladding is:
1. His own Ministerial office in Nicholson Street (one of Victoria’s first buildings to have combustible cladding removed).
2. High rise towers built by his dodgy developer mates and those represented by former lobbyist turned Labor MP Will Fowles, who recently disgraced himself at a Canberra hotel by violently kicking a door in.
And finally,
3. Non-residential private buildings (aged care homes, childcare centres and private hospitals) – because private buildings like these are not going to be considered for rectification by Cladding Safety Victoria, only privately owned apartment buildings.
Flammable cladding? If you send your kids to a childcare centre, you’re on your own in Daniel Andrews’ Victoria.
Tim Smith MP
Shadow Minister for Housing