The State of Cladding Remediation Across Australia
Cladding remediation in Australia is one of the largest building compliance programs the industry has ever seen. Across NSW, Victoria, Queensland, and the ACT, thousands of buildings have been identified as carrying combustible cladding that doesn’t meet the fire safety requirements of the National Construction Code. The response — a mix of government-funded programs, mandated assessments, and building owner-led rectification — is complex, slow-moving, and far from complete.
For building owners, body corporates, and the contractors working on these projects, understanding the remediation landscape is essential. This guide covers what’s happening in each state, what the process typically involves, and what compliant replacement options look like.
How We Got Here
The cladding crisis has a clear trigger point: the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, where combustible aluminium composite panel (ACP) cladding contributed to the rapid spread of fire across the building’s facade. In Australia, concerns had already been raised following the 2014 Lacrosse Building fire in Melbourne’s Docklands, where combustible ACP cladding enabled fire to spread across 13 storeys in approximately 11 minutes.
These events prompted a national audit of buildings with external combustible cladding. State and territory governments established audit programs, and the scale of the problem became apparent. Tens of thousands of buildings across Australia were identified as potentially affected.
The materials at the centre of the issue are primarily aluminium composite panels (ACPs) with polyethylene (PE) cores and, to a lesser extent, expanded polystyrene (EPS) cladding. These materials, while not inherently prohibited in all applications, were used extensively in situations where the NCC required non-combustible materials — often without adequate fire engineering assessment.
State-by-State Overview
New South Wales
NSW has taken one of the most structured approaches to remediation through its Project Remediate program, administered by the NSW Building Commission. The program targets residential apartment buildings (Class 2) identified as having combustible cladding that presents an unacceptable fire risk.
Project Remediate operates through interest-free government loans to owners corporations, covering the cost of cladding replacement. The program was originally established as a three-year initiative but has been extended to 2027, with more than $105 million in targeted investment reported as of late 2025. Hansen Yuncken was appointed as the managing contractor, and the program provides building owners with a centralised procurement model and managed project delivery pathway.
For builders and suppliers, the key features of Project Remediate are the centralised procurement model and the compliance documentation requirements. Replacement products need to satisfy NCC requirements and be supported by robust evidence of non-combustibility and performance.
Outside of Project Remediate, many NSW buildings are pursuing remediation independently — often driven by fire orders, insurance requirements, or sale conditions. These privately funded projects follow the same technical requirements but without the structured program support.
Victoria
Cladding Safety Victoria (CSV) was established in 2020 as a dedicated agency to oversee the state’s remediation response. Victoria identified the largest number of affected buildings of any state — a reflection of the significant residential construction boom in Melbourne during the period when combustible ACPs were widely available and competitively priced.
CSV’s approach has been risk-based, prioritising buildings based on the assessed level of fire risk. The agency provides funding through the Cladding Rectification Program, with the Victorian Government allocating over $600 million to the effort. CSV has assessed over 1,000 privately owned apartment buildings and operates a structured program covering risk assessment, scoping, design, procurement and construction oversight.
Their Clerk of Works inspection program — established in 2021 — has been credited with saving almost $100 million through quality and compliance interventions on construction sites. As of late 2025, CSV had entered its second phase, focusing on lower-risk buildings, with the majority of buildings still awaiting remediation being low-rise (five storeys or fewer).
Victoria’s program has been notable for its scale, but also for the time it takes to move from identification through to completed rectification. Many building owners report extended timelines, and the complexity of coordinating works across large residential buildings — often with hundreds of apartments — adds to the challenge.
Queensland
Queensland’s approach has been more assessment-focused through its Safer Buildings program, administered by the QBCC. Building owners of eligible Class 2–9 buildings (Type A or B construction, approved between January 1994 and October 2018) were required to register and complete a Combustible Cladding Checklist. The registration deadline closed in May 2021.
Where combustible cladding was identified, building owners are responsible for engaging fire engineers and developing remediation plans. This has created a different dynamic — building owners in Queensland face the full cost of remediation, which for a multi-storey residential building can run into millions of dollars. The financial burden has been a significant source of dispute, with body corporates, developers, and insurers all involved in questions of liability and cost allocation.
The Queensland Government has also been rectifying its own building stock, with 99% of government buildings either complete or undergoing rectification.
Australian Capital Territory
The ACT Government’s Cladding Rectification Program, led by Infrastructure Canberra, provides concessional loans to owners corporations of eligible buildings for cladding removal and replacement. Government-owned buildings were addressed first, with remediation on 23 government buildings completed in late 2022.
The private buildings program continues through the Concessional Loan Scheme, which gives eligible owners corporations access to low-interest financing for remediation works. For contractors and suppliers working in the ACT, the remediation market is active but concentrated. Many of the affected buildings are government or institutional assets, which brings its own procurement and compliance requirements.
Other States
South Australia, Western Australia, and Tasmania have each conducted their own audits and established regulatory frameworks, though the scale of dedicated remediation funding varies. The general trajectory across all jurisdictions is the same: identify buildings with combustible cladding, assess risk, and remediate — with regulatory requirements for replacement products anchored in the NCC and referenced Australian Standards.
What Does Remediation Actually Involve?
Cladding remediation — or recladding — is more than removing the old material and putting up new panels. A typical remediation project involves:
Assessment and Design
A fire engineer assesses the existing facade to determine the extent of combustible material and the risk it presents. A facade consultant or architect then designs the replacement system, taking into account the building’s structural capacity, weatherproofing requirements, and NCC compliance obligations.
Material Selection
The replacement cladding must be non-combustible, tested to AS 1530.1, and suitable for the specific building application. Common replacement materials include solid aluminium panels, fibre cement, and non-combustible ACPs (those with mineral-filled cores). The choice depends on the building’s design, budget, and performance requirements.
Solid aluminium — typically 3mm panels — has become a widely used replacement material for remediation projects, and for good reason. As a material, solid aluminium is inherently non-combustible. It doesn’t rely on a fire-retardant additive or a mineral core to achieve its classification — the material itself does not combust. This gives specifiers and certifiers confidence that the non-combustibility is a permanent characteristic of the product, not something that could be compromised by manufacturing variation or degradation over time.
Beyond fire performance, a replacement cladding on a remediation project also needs to withstand physical impact — particularly on lower levels where accidental contact is more likely. This is where NCC Volume One, Specification C1.8 applies, setting requirements for impact resistance of external wall assemblies.
Valmond & Gibson’s element13 has been tested to this standard. The testing, conducted by Ian Bennetts & Associates under supervision from Curtin University (Report 2021-083, October 2021), recorded a maximum deflection of 18.87mm against a limit of span/120 or 30mm, and a residual displacement of just 0.04mm against a limit of 0.5mm. These results demonstrate that the product comfortably meets the impact performance requirements — with significant margin — which is particularly relevant for remediation projects where the replacement cladding needs to perform in exposed, high-traffic environments.
Demolition and Installation
Removing combustible cladding from an occupied building requires careful staging, temporary weather protection, and coordination with residents. Installation of the replacement system follows, typically working floor by floor or elevation by elevation to minimise disruption.
Remediation projects often involve constrained access, occupied buildings, and existing substrate conditions that aren’t always ideal. Products that can be installed efficiently and adapt to real-world site conditions have a practical advantage — particularly on projects where minimising disruption to residents is a priority.
Certification and Close-Out
Once complete, the remediated facade is inspected and certified as compliant. This typically involves sign-off from the fire engineer, the building certifier, and in some cases the relevant state authority. In NSW, this takes the form of a Remedial Assurance Certificate lodged through the Planning Portal. Documentation — including test certificates, installation records, and as-built drawings — is critical for ongoing compliance evidence.
What’s Required of Replacement Products
Replacement cladding on remediation projects needs to satisfy several requirements simultaneously:
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Non-combustibility — The replacement must be tested non-combustible to AS 1530.1. This is non-negotiable and should be verified through current test reports from accredited laboratories. Solid aluminium is inherently non-combustible as a material — it doesn’t require special treatment or additives to meet the standard.
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Impact resistance — Particularly for lower levels and accessible areas, the replacement system should meet the impact performance requirements of NCC Specification C1.8. Ask suppliers for impact test data from accredited labs.
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Weatherproofing — The replacement facade system — not just the cladding panel — must provide adequate resistance to water penetration. Testing to AS/NZS 4284:2008 is the standard pathway for demonstrating facade weatherproofing performance.
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System compatibility — The replacement cladding needs to work with the building’s existing structure and substrates. Not every system suits every building.
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Aesthetic outcome — Particularly for residential buildings, the replacement needs to look appropriate. Remediation shouldn’t result in a building that looks like it’s been patched.
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Durability and longevity — Owners, program managers, and certifiers all want confidence that the replacement product won’t need replacing again in 15 years. Solid aluminium, fibre cement, and certain other non-combustible materials have long track records in Australian conditions.
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Installation efficiency — Remediation projects are time-sensitive, especially on occupied buildings. Systems that install efficiently — with fewer trades, simpler fixing methods, and less site waste — have practical advantages.
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Supplier documentation — Test reports, installation manuals, engineering data, and warranty documentation should all be available from the supplier before specification.
Where Valmond & Gibson Fits
We supply into the remediation market. It’s a significant part of what we do, and we take the compliance requirements seriously. Two products in our range are particularly relevant to remediation projects:
element13
element13 is a 3mm solid aluminium cladding panel — inherently non-combustible per AS 1530.1. There’s no composite core, no laminate, no ambiguity. It’s aluminium through and through. element13 has been independently tested for impact resistance under NCC C1.8 provisions by Ian Bennetts & Associates, supervised by Curtin University (Report 2021-083, October 2021). The results: 18.87mm deflection against a 30mm limit, and 0.04mm residual deformation against a 0.5mm limit — both well within the required thresholds.
interloQ
interloQ is our interlocking panel system, also 3mm solid aluminium. It has been independently tested for weatherproofing performance to AS/NZS 4284:2008 by Ian Bennetts & Associates (Report 2022-031-S1, April 2022). The system was tested at both 450 Pa and 900 Pa under static and cyclic pressure — and passed. Notably, it also passed with 6mm penetrations (simulating typical fixing points) and with the internal lining removed. Those are meaningful test conditions that reflect real installation scenarios.
Both products carry the test evidence and documentation that remediation projects demand. We don’t claim to be engineers or certifiers — we’re suppliers who invest in getting our products properly tested so that the people specifying and installing them can do so with confidence.
The Financial Reality
Remediation is expensive. Costs vary significantly depending on building size, cladding area, access complexity, and the replacement system specified. For a mid-rise residential building, total project costs of $2–10 million are not unusual, with cladding material representing a portion of the overall cost alongside scaffolding, demolition, project management, and professional fees.
Funding mechanisms vary by state. In NSW, Project Remediate provides interest-free loans. In Victoria, Cladding Safety Victoria administers the $600 million Cladding Rectification Program. In Queensland and other states, building owners carry the cost — often resulting in special levies for apartment owners that can run to tens of thousands of dollars per lot.
Insurance has become another pressure point. Buildings with identified combustible cladding face significantly higher premiums, reduced coverage, or in some cases, difficulty obtaining insurance at all. Completing remediation is often a prerequisite for returning to normal insurance terms.
What’s Ahead for Remediation
The remediation pipeline in Australia remains substantial. Many buildings are still in assessment or early design stages, and the volume of active construction work is expected to continue well into the late 2020s. For contractors, suppliers, and building owners, this is a long-term commitment rather than a short-term project.
The regulatory environment continues to tighten. State governments are increasingly willing to issue fire orders and compliance notices, and the reputational and legal consequences of inaction are growing. Buildings that haven’t addressed combustible cladding are facing market consequences — in valuations, insurance, and saleability.
For the industry, remediation represents both a challenge and an opportunity. The buildings need compliant materials, competent installation, and proper documentation. Suppliers and contractors who can deliver all three reliably are well positioned in this market. The standards are high, and they should be — these programs exist because products were installed on buildings that didn’t perform as expected in fire. The replacement products going on now need to be beyond question.
Valmond & Gibson’s element13 and interloQ are 3mm solid aluminium cladding systems — inherently non-combustible to AS 1530.1, with independent test evidence for impact resistance and weatherproofing performance. They’re used on remediation projects across Australia. If you’re working on a reclad or new-build project, we’re happy to talk through options.
Related Reading
- Combustible Cladding Bans by Australian State: 2026 Update
- Common Recladding Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- Preparing a Recladding Tender: What to Include
- Facade Remediation in 2026: What Building Owners Need to Know
Last updated: 11 February 2026