A company importing aluminium cladding of the type blamed for a catastrophic blaze in Melbourne is investigating whether it may have been used incorrectly in buildings here, while government authorities say they are also following up.
Hundreds of New Zealand buildings are clad with something similar to the Alucobest panels that caught fire rapidly at a Docklands high-rise apartment block last November, causing millions of dollars in damage, though no-one was badly hurt.
Melbourne's Metropolitan Fire Brigade pinned the blame on Alucobest and the high-rise's apartment owners are now threatening joint legal action.
The brigade's Adam Dalrymple told Radio New Zealand it took just 11 minutes for the flames to spread from a balcony on the eighth floor up to the 21st floor, forcing the evacuation after midnight of 400 people.
"The products themselves can be used in certain applications, but the Alucobest used in the Lacrosse building wasn't appropriate for that type of construction.
"It was a combustible product and for that type of construction, it needed to be non-combustible."
Fire investigators have found the cheaper Chinese-made Alucobest had been substituted for a fire-proof product, Alucobond, which was specified in the building consent.
This has fuelled alarm over the Tasman, where a recent industry survey found that 92 percent of builders questioned had been offered faulty materials to buy.
The New Zealand Ministry of Business Innovation and Employment would not be interviewed but in a written statement said it was following up with Australian authorities to get further information about the Docklands report findings.
"MBIE has the ability to issue a warning or a ban if we find significant non-compliance with the Building Code. AlucoBest under the brand of AlucoBuild is currently available in New Zealand.
"MBIE is not aware of any problems with this product's use in New Zealand, but we will be following the matter up with local council, which carry out the building consenting process."
They said that New Zealand's regulatory system, like Australia's, outlawed the use of Alucobest on high-rise apartments.
In Melbourne, any checks during construction of the Lacrosse Building would not have picked up the wrong product because it looked identical to the approved cladding.
Head of the Master Builders Federation David Kelly said, "You can never say never," but said he was not aware of any builders who have tried to buck the system.
He said products were occasionally substituted, but one positive legacy of the leaky buildings disaster was that builders were now very aware of their responsibilities.
AlucoBest is available in New Zealand under the brand AlucoBuild, but only for use in buildings or homes of just one storey and no higher than seven metres. It is completely banned in carehomes for children, the elderly, or disabled people.
PSP Ltd, which imports Alucobest, declined to be interviewed. In an emailed statement, it said wherever possible, it ensured clients chose the right product for the right job.
"PSP have commenced their own investigations into the likelihood of any incorrect use or specification of the Alucobest panel in New Zealand.
"PSP are currently not aware of any persons using or installing ACM panels incorrectly here, but would like to comment that there is a wide selection of ACM brands available in the market, both fire rated and non fire-rated - possibly as many as 8-10 being offered for use for external cladding at the present time by a number of suppliers.
"Until such time as our own investigations are completed, we are unable to comment further."
