Final remediation work to address combustible building cladding in the ACT is on track to be completed late this year after completion of work on four more government buildings.

Applications for the Private Buildings Cladding Scheme remain open until July 21. Under that scheme, the ACT Government funds half of the cost of testing and assessing cladding up to $20,000, and remediation works undertaken on eligible buildings will be facilitated by a loan.

16 buildings are currently being assessed and owners corporations are encouraged to contact claddingprogram@act.gov.au as early as possible.

“We are reducing the risk of potentially combustible cladding,” Minister for Sustainable Building and Construction Rebecca Vassarotti said.

A total of 14 government buildings have now had cladding issues addressed after work on Canberra High School, Howard Florey House, Civic Youth Centre and ACT Magistrates Court concluded, while remediation works continue on nine other ACT Government owned buildings found to have combustible cladding.

The material removed so far was recycled, with a total of 5333 kilograms of combustible polyethylene cladding panels from four schools able to be reused in the production of plastic products, such as chairs, flower pots, commercial landscape drains, piping, plastic pallets and bottles.

The aluminium from the panels was recycled in the production of window frames, park benches and building products.