Missing links in the ‘Chain of Responsibility’ – Australia’s varied response to the risks posed by Polyethylene core Cladding

Insurance Construction & Engineering energy & Resources Corporate Commercial Property Litigation & dispute resolution Aviation & transport Constructive Notes ® Constructive Notes © - April 2018 © Carter Newell 2018 April 2018 Missing links in the ‘Chain of Responsibility’ – Australia’s varied response to the risks posed by Polyethylene core Cladding Article written by Luke Preston, Partner Ben Hall, Special Counsel Page 1 Government response to the risks posed by non-conforming building products continues across the various Australian jurisdictions, albeit with limited uniformity. The legislation and preliminary audit processes have been prompted primarily by two Australian incidents – the 2014 Lacrosse Tower cladding fire in Melbourne and the 2015 national recall of Infinity electrical cabling – and, more recently, the tragic Grenfell Tower fire in London in 2017. Those events have reinforced the need to ensure that buildings are safe from the risk of the rapid spread of fire, with a particular focus on the installation of potentially combustible cladding products, whether during original construction or any later refurbishment.