Australia’s Recladding Program Is Still Far from Over
Australia is in the middle of the largest cladding rectification effort in its history. Across Victoria, New South Wales, Queensland, and the ACT, thousands of buildings have been identified as carrying combustible cladding that does not meet the fire safety requirements of the National Construction Code. Government programs in Victoria and NSW alone have directed more than $700 million toward fixing the problem, and privately funded projects are running alongside them.
For building owners, strata managers, and project teams working on these buildings, the questions are practical: what material replaces what’s being removed, how long does it take, and what does the process actually involve? This guide covers the key considerations, with a focus on solid aluminium - the most widely used replacement material in Australian recladding projects.
Why Is Recladding Happening Across Australia?
The trigger events are well known. The 2014 Lacrosse Building fire in Melbourne’s Docklands saw combustible aluminium composite panel (ACP) cladding enable fire to spread across 13 storeys in approximately 11 minutes. The 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London, where 72 people died, accelerated the global response. The 2019 Neo200 fire, also in Melbourne, reinforced the urgency.
These events prompted national audits. State and territory governments identified thousands of buildings clad with combustible materials - primarily ACPs with polyethylene (PE) cores - that had been installed in situations where the NCC required non-combustible products.
The response has been substantial but uneven:
- Victoria identified the largest number of affected buildings. Cladding Safety Victoria (CSV) has overseen remediation of more than 360 buildings through its $600 million Cladding Rectification Program, with the highest-risk buildings now largely addressed. The program is transitioning into its later phases, focusing on lower-risk buildings.
- New South Wales established Project Remediate, providing interest-free loans to owners corporations for cladding replacement on high-risk residential apartment buildings. The program has been extended to 2027.
- Queensland required building owners to complete a three-part Combustible Cladding Checklist through its Safer Buildings program, with building owners bearing the cost of remediation where combustible cladding was confirmed.
- The ACT provides concessional loans to eligible owners corporations, with government building remediation largely complete.
Despite the progress, the pipeline of buildings still requiring rectification remains substantial. Many are in assessment or early design stages, and active remediation work is expected to continue well into the late 2020s.
What Replacement Materials Are Used for Recladding?
When combustible cladding comes off a building, the replacement must be non-combustible, tested to AS 1530.1, and suitable for the specific application. The most common replacement materials in the Australian market are:
Solid aluminium panels have become the most widely used replacement for combustible ACP. The reasoning is straightforward: solid aluminium is inherently non-combustible. There is no composite core, no polyethylene fill, no fire-retardant additive - it is aluminium through and through. This eliminates the compliance ambiguity that contributed to the original problem. Solid aluminium is also lightweight, which matters when the replacement material needs to work with an existing building’s structural capacity.
Fibre cement is another non-combustible option used on remediation projects, particularly where the design calls for a rendered or textured finish. It is heavier than aluminium, which can create structural loading considerations on existing buildings, and it requires different fixing and jointing details.
Non-combustible ACPs (aluminium composite panels with mineral-filled cores) are available and classified as non-combustible when tested to AS 1530.1. However, in the context of remediation - where the original problem was a composite panel with the wrong core material - many specifiers and building owners prefer to move away from composite products entirely. There is a practical logic to this: choosing a material with no core to question removes a variable from the compliance conversation.
Why Is element13 Widely Used for Recladding Projects?
Valmond & Gibson’s element13 is a 3mm solid aluminium cladding panel. It is used extensively on recladding projects across Australia, and the reasons are worth understanding in practical terms.
Non-combustible, with comprehensive test evidence. element13 is tested non-combustible to AS 1530.1 by CSIRO (Report FNC12545). It also carries a full fire property test to AS 1530.3, with results of Ignitability 0, Flame 0, Heat 0, and Smoke 1 (Report FNE12552). This test suite goes beyond the minimum non-combustibility requirement and gives fire engineers and certifiers a complete picture of the material’s fire behaviour.
Lightweight - and that matters for existing buildings. At 8.13 kg/m2, element13 is lighter than many alternative cladding products. On a recladding project, this is a genuine practical advantage. The existing building was designed to carry the original cladding load. A replacement material that is significantly heavier may require structural upgrades to the framing, connections, or even the primary structure - adding cost, time, and complexity. Solid aluminium avoids this problem in most cases.
Impact resistance for real-world conditions. Recladding projects, particularly on residential buildings, need to account for impact on lower levels. element13 has been tested for impact resistance under NCC Specification C1.8 by Ian Bennetts and Associates, supervised by Curtin University (Report 2021-083). The results - 18.87mm deflection against a 30mm limit, and 0.04mm residual deformation against a 0.5mm limit - demonstrate significant margin above the required thresholds.
Stock colours ship from Sydney. Tight programme deadlines are common on remediation projects, particularly where fire orders are in place. element13 carries a range of stock colours - solids and metallics - that ship from Sydney without minimum order quantities. For projects under time pressure, this can be the difference between keeping the programme on track and waiting weeks for material.
Broad colour range for design flexibility. Beyond the stock range, element13 is available in more than 30 non-stock colours, plus woodgrain, imitation, and bright finishes. This gives architects and designers flexibility to achieve the intended aesthetic outcome - which matters on residential buildings where the recladding needs to look considered, not like a patch job.
Practical Considerations for Recladding Projects
Recladding an occupied building is one of the more complex undertakings in construction. The technical requirements are only part of the challenge.
Occupied building access. Most recladding projects involve buildings where people live or work. Scaffolding envelops the building for extended periods, reducing natural light and creating noise. Construction typically progresses elevation by elevation or floor by floor, with careful staging to maintain building access and egress throughout.
Weatherproofing during transition. When combustible cladding is removed, the building is temporarily exposed. Temporary weather protection is essential, and the sequencing of removal and replacement needs to account for weather windows. Any gap in the building envelope - even a short one - creates risk of water ingress into occupied spaces.
Scope growth. Once cladding comes off, additional issues often emerge. Deteriorated substrates, failed waterproofing membranes, non-compliant balustrades, and damaged sarking are common discoveries. Remediation projects rarely stay within their original scope, and contingency planning for these situations is essential.
Colour matching. Where only part of a building’s cladding is being replaced, the new material needs to integrate visually with the existing facade. This requires careful colour specification and, in some cases, sample matching before production.
Programme duration. Recladding projects take time. Even after assessment and design are complete, the construction phase for a mid-rise residential building typically runs several months. For larger buildings, twelve months or more on site is not unusual. Building owners and residents need realistic expectations about the timeline.
What Does the Project Team Look Like?
Recladding projects involve more disciplines than a typical facade installation. The core team generally includes:
- Fire engineer - assesses the existing facade, determines the extent of combustible material and the risk it presents. Where the replacement strategy involves a Performance Solution rather than a Deemed-to-Satisfy pathway, the fire engineer’s role is central.
- Facade engineer or architect - designs the replacement system, considering structural capacity, weatherproofing, NCC compliance, and aesthetics.
- Builder or head contractor - manages the construction works, including demolition, temporary protection, and installation sequencing.
- Facade installer - carries out the physical removal of combustible cladding and installation of the replacement system. Installer capability and experience with the specified product are critical.
- Building certifier - provides compliance certification on completion. Documentation requirements are extensive, and the certifier will need test reports, installation records, and as-built drawings.
- Owners corporation or building owner - the decision-maker and, in many cases, the party funding the works. Understanding the process and maintaining realistic expectations about timeline and cost is important.
In government-funded programs like Project Remediate (NSW) or Cladding Safety Victoria, an independent project manager may also be appointed to coordinate the process on behalf of the owners corporation.
Moving Forward
Recladding is serious work. The buildings affected by this program are homes and workplaces, and the materials going on now need to be beyond question. Solid aluminium has become the industry standard replacement for good reason: it is inherently non-combustible, lightweight enough to work with existing structures, backed by comprehensive test evidence, and available in a range that supports good design outcomes.
For a detailed breakdown of what each state requires and how the government programs work, see our companion guide: Cladding Remediation in Australia: What’s Happening Across the States and What It Means for Building Owners.
If you are working on a recladding project and need technical documentation, colour samples, or supply timelines for element13, contact us directly. We supply into remediation projects across Australia and can provide the test reports and compliance documentation your project requires.
Related Reading
- Preparing a Recladding Tender: What to Include
- Common Recladding Mistakes and How to Avoid Them
- element13 Specification Guide
- Solid Aluminium vs Composite Panels
Last updated: 3 April 2026