Owners of certain buildings with external cladding that is combustible (burns easily) must register these buildings in the NSW Cladding Regulation Online Registration System.
Older buildings should already be registered. Owners of new buildings must register them within 4 months of first occupancy.
The laws covering combustible cladding were changed after major fires at the Lacrosse Building, Melbourne, in 2014 and Grenfell Tower, London, in 2017. The registration system is one result of those changes.
The related legal instruments are:
- Environmental Planning and Assessment Amendment (Identification of Buildings with Combustible Cladding) Regulation 2018 (also known as the Combustible Cladding Regulation)
- State Environmental Planning Policy Amendment (Exempt Development – Cladding and Decorative Work) 2018. They commence on 22 October 2018.
These began on 22 October 2018.
Building types
The regulation applies to combustible cladding on these types of buildings, new and existing, of 2 or more storeys:
- residential apartments
- other types of residential building where people sleep – for example, hotels, boarding houses, backpacker hostels, student accommodation
- aged-care buildings, hospitals and day surgeries, and any associated single dwellings within these
- public assembly buildings – for example, theatres, cinemas, schools, churches – and any associated single dwellings within these.
Cladding types
The regulation applies to the above building types with external combustible cladding made of these materials:
- metal composite panels, including those consisting of aluminium, zinc or copper outer layers and a core material
- insulated cladding systems, including systems consisting of polystyrene, polyurethane and polyisocyanurate.
Under the Combustible Cladding Regulation, certain Building Code of Australia alternative solutions must be referred to Fire and Rescue NSW.
Guide to assessment
The Guide for the Assessment of Buildings with Combustible Cladding is designed to help councils and other authorities. It is also useful to industry and building owners.
Related instruments
Along with the above regulation amendment, state environmental planning policies (SEPPs) were also amended. For information and frequently asked questions about the SEPP changes, visit Exempt development for cladding.
Resources
More information
For more information:
- email [email protected]
- phone 1300 305 695
For translation services, phone 13 14 50 and ask for an interpreter in your language.