More than 1600 apartment blocks in Victoria had been identified for consideration under the state’s cladding rectification program by June 30, according to the agency overseeing the scheme. 

The 1619 complexes in line for financial support for cladding work represented an increase of 31 from the end of the 2022-23 period, Cladding Safety Victoria says. 

CSV provided the details in its 2023-24 annual report, which contains a review of work done during the period.

The agency completed rectification work on 80 residential buildings last financial year, bringing the number finalised under the $600 million program to 330. The program launched five years ago.

CSV says although unacceptable-risk buildings represent only about one-quarter of the total building cohort, remediation of these is estimated to mitigate about 90% of the cladding risk across the state.

“This is the basis on which CSV has focused on the rectification of unacceptable-risk buildings as the priority during the first half of its program,” the report says. “With the completion of works on 330 unacceptable-risk buildings to the end of 2023–24, 70% of residential building cladding risk across the state has now been addressed.”

CSV says the primary issue for its program remains the presence of non-cladding defects discovered in a significant number of buildings, which can create project delays and challenges for owners and owners’ corporations.

In 2022-23, about 49% of the buildings in its funded program had defects unrelated to cladding.

“This observation has continued into 2023-24, with non-cladding defects found on approximately half of the buildings subject to rectification projects,” the report says. “Defects associated with water ingress remain the most commonly detected issue.”

Click here for the report.