FLAMMABLE CLADDING STILL NOT FIXED AT MAJOR HOSPITALS AND SCHOOLS

Seven years after the State Government identified combustible cladding requiring remediation on major hospitals and schools the majority of work is yet to begin at Fiona Stanley Hospital, while no work has begun at Perth Children’s Hospital and six public schools.

Budget Estimates hearings this week revealed remediation work at Perth Children’s Hospital and Fiona Stanley Hospital has not yet gone to tender and were not expected to be completed until 2029.The hearings also confirmed six public schools identified through the State’s cladding audit remain unfunded, with the Department of Education saying work would be considered through a “future budget process”.

The statewide audit followed the catastrophic 2017 Grenfell Tower fire in London and identified aluminium composite panels requiring remediation on nine health buildings and 11 government schools.

Former Health Minister Amber-Jade Sanderson previously admitted 28 panels removed at Perth Children’s Hospital in November 2023 had all identified as flammable.

Shadow Health Minister Libby Mettam said the Government had identified the buildings years ago, yet patients, families and healthcare workers were still waiting for the work to even begin.

“Perth Children’s Hospital is the premier children’s hospital and Fiona Stanley is one of our largest public hospitals. West Australians would reasonably expect this work to have been completed years ago,” she said.

“The Cook Labor Government has found the time and money to fast-track other projects, but seven years later major remediation work at our biggest hospitals is still waiting to go out to tender.”

Shadow Education Minister Liam Staltari said parents would rightly be asking why schools identified through the Government’s own audit were still waiting for funding.

“Budget Estimates confirmed six schools are still waiting for money before work can even begin. That simply isn’t good enough seven years after these issues were identified,” he said.

“Every dollar the Government chooses to spend reflects its priorities. Parents expect the safety of schools to be near the top of that list.

“Labor managed to fully fund and begin work on a racetrack within 12 months, yet seven years after identifying combustible cladding on major hospitals and schools, these projects are still waiting.”

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