The ACT's firefighters union says the location of buildings with potentially flammable cladding should be made public, as it echoed growing calls for an audit of private apartment and commercial complexes.
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The United Firefighters Union has joined a chorus of property industry groups and politicians in calling on the government to ramp up its response to growing concerns about the prevalence of combustible cladding on Canberra buildings.
The government has identified about 70 or so buildings which might contain flammable material - but is refusing to say which ones. It has insisted that none of the buildings pose an immediate safety risk and all are safe to occupy.
The government is also continuing to reject calls for an audit of private buildings, such as high-rise apartment complexes.
Firefighters union branch secretary Greg McConville said the ACT government had "really dropped the ball" in responding to cladding risks.
Mr McConville said that was particularly disappointing given the ACT was among the first jurisdictions to sound the alarm about the emerging problem of combustible cladding almost a decade ago.
He said the government should publish details about at-risk buildings, echoing calls from the Canberra Liberals and ACT Greens.
"Our preference is for disclosure [of the buildings]," Mr McConville said.
"That view is based on a risk management approach. There is a presumption that workers are entitled to know the risks, and that duty of care should extend to visitors and members of the public."
"I don't think you can follow that risk management approach with a veil of secrecy [about the building's location]."
The NSW government has reportedly refused to publish the locations of more than 400 buildings potentially covered in flammable cladding amid concerns that it could make them a target for arson and terrorist attacks.
The Canberra Times asked ACT Building Minister Gordon Ramsay if similar concerns informed the decision to keep the findings of the territory government's audit under wraps.
In a statement, a government spokesman said it did not publish details about the buildings for a "variety of reasons and it would be inappropriate to comment further".
Mr McConville said he "didn't accept" claims that publishing a building's location would heighten the risk of an arson attack, arguing that perpetrators could find out if it contained flammable material through other means.
ACT Fire & Rescue has been involved throughout the territory government's audit, meaning it is aware of which public buildings might contain combustible cladding.
But Mr McConville said the government's refusal to proactively inspect apartment and commercial complexes meant firefighters were not aware of the fire risks those buildings might pose.
"We don't think that's reasonable," he said.
ACT Fire & Rescue chief officer Mark Brown said the agency had developed a training course which taught firefighters how to respond to incidents at buildings might contain flammable cladding.
Mr Brown said that when responding to incidents, fire crews "drew no distinction between public and private buildings and would work with all members of the community to preserve life, property and the environment".
Dan Jervis-Bardy
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
Dan covers federal politics from Parliament House, with a special focus on climate policy and the NDIS. He has previously reported on ACT politics and urban affairs since joining the Canberra Times in 2018.
