Manningham City Council has announced it will begin work to replace flammable cladding on a Council-owned community centre, three years after a review by the Victorian Building Authority (VBA) identified the defective panels.
The Council-owned MC Square building is a community hub in the suburb of Doncaster, which houses an art gallery, library, kindergarten and other commmunity services.
The VBA conducted a statewide cladding review in 2019, identifying MC Square as having combustible composite panel cladding. At the time it was noted that there was no immediate risk and no need to stop service provision, Council said in a statement today.
“We made a decision to engage an independent expert to conduct a preliminary assessment of MC Square in April 2019. While the independent expert recommended a partial aluminium composite panel (ACP) cladding replacement, we have acted with the utmost precaution and endorsed a full ACP cladding replacement in the 2021/22 and 2022/23 budget,” the Council said.
“As a result, we will be undertaking construction works to remove and replace the exterior panels.”
In October 2022 Council secured a contractor to undertake the work, which is set to begin in December, with works expected to be completed by early 2024.
A facade insulation upgrade will also be undertaken as part of these works to avoid potential disruptions in the future, Council said.
