Cladding Safety Victoria (CSV)
2019 - 2024
$75M
Various sites across VIC
Project Details
Attributes
Overview
Safer buildings for Victorians: As part of the State’s cladding remediation program, Higgins has employed specialist design and delivery expertise to rectify over 45 buildings across Melbourne.
In 2019, the Victorian Government launched the multi-million-dollar Cladding Rectification Program, a world-leading initiative focused on quality and safety. The program targets high-risk residential, government and public buildings with combustible cladding, with construction work overseen by Cladding Safety Victoria (CSV).
Higgins has been a proud partner of CSV since the program's inception, applying specialist design and construction expertise to complete various cladding rectification projects across Melbourne, with several more in progress.
These projects demand technical knowledge and a particular skillset from our teams, including:
- Adapting to the diverse needs and expectations of different Owners Corporations (OC) and other key stakeholders
- Providing significant design input and collaborating closely with specialist consultants to ensure safe, efficient outcomes
- Developing creative methodologies to maintain building operations and safety for residents and tenants during construction
- Managing multiple sites simultaneously
- Navigating challenging locations and highly constrained areas
Total Sites
47
Program Snapshot
Projects in progress
8
Projects completed
47
Combustible cladding replaced
62,994 sqm
Project sizes
10 sqm - 6,060 sqm
Project values
$0.2M - $10M
Tallest project
21 Levels
High Street, Prahran
Through meticulous coordination of 300 residents and efficient night-shift operations, we replaced 3,627sqm of cladding across two buildings.
We approached this project in two stages, separating internal and external areas to streamline coordination.
Stage 1 focused on coordinating access to each resident’s apartment, a key challenge we overcame by using a scheduling app. This allowed residents to book suitable time slots, ensuring maximum efficiency and minimal disruption.
Stage 2 saw the replacement of external cladding using a scaffolding strategy. Because of the high-traffic location, we worked closely with VicRoads and Yarra Trams, following strict procedures around the erection and dismantling of scaffold and managing works between 1:30am and 4:30am.
Despite the complexities of upgrading two large-scale buildings on a busy inner-city street, we completed the project on schedule and under budget, improving the safety of 300 Victorian homes.
Nicholson Street, Coburg
Remedying fire risk across nine levels
Through a seven-stage approach we replaced the combustible cladding on a nine-storey, mixed-tenure building. Stages 1 to 5 addressed the building’s external elevations, Stage 6 addressed the internal mezzanine courtyard, and Stage 7 addressed the internal voids at the North and South points of the building.
After we completed the demolition of the existing cladding, we uncovered several issues with the underlying structure, specifically related to the condition of the structural steel, waterproofing, and fire separation. To address these, we undertook extensive remediation work, treating rust and replacing deteriorated steel members. Additionally, we installed significant amounts of fire-rated plasterboard to ensure compliant fire separation and meet all safety regulations.