Canberra Liberals Leader Elizabeth Lee is calling on the ACT Labor-Greens Government to address the serious issue of combustible cladding following years of inaction.

In a motion put forward to the Legislative Assembly, Ms Lee will call on the government to finalise and publish details of the combustible cladding remediation loan scheme by 30 June, undertake a thorough and comprehensive audit of any residential building not yet tested by 30 September, and set a target date for removal of combustible cladding.

Ms Lee said the ACT Labor-Greens Government has known about combustible cladding as a pressing issue since the Grenfell Tower Fire in 2017, but five years on has failed to make any real progress.

“The need for urgent action has been continually raised by owners, corporations and strata managers but the ACT Government has shown no interest in prioritising this issue,” Ms Lee said.

“Due to government inaction, some owners have been forced to take active steps to remove combustible cladding and commence remediation work without any support or certainty.

“Despite announcing in July last year the ACT Government will finally begin providing assistance for residential buildings in Canberra, almost a year on the Minister has failed to provide any concrete details of the remediation loan scheme.

“During a recent forum run by the Stata Community Association it was evident by the Minister’s woefully inadequate talking points that this is a government that is sitting on its hands and turning a blind eye to this serious issue.

“Combustible cladding is a known hazard present in our community, it can be life-threatening, and this Labor-Greens Government needs to act decisively,” Ms Lee concluded.

The motion also calls on the ACT Government to waive development application fees for cladding remediation works and establish a dedicated team within the planning directorate to fast track development applications for remediation works.