Question Time

Aluminium Composite Cladding

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS (West Torrens) (14:27): My question is to the Minister for Local Government. How many defect notices have been issued since he published his audit on aluminium cladding?

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL (Schubert—Minister for Transport, Infrastructure and Local Government, Minister for Planning) (14:28): I have to unpack this question a little bit because he said 'since the audit was released'. We released the information last Thursday. Prior to that time, some building owners—in fact, many building owners—had already been told. Since that time, the balance of those building owners have been told. I think the fact that we released this information as quickly as we did and the fact that rectification and notification are happening contemporaneously would tell South Australians that we haven't held onto this information. In fact, we have wanted to get what we can get out there as quickly as possible.

There are 28 buildings. Each of those building owners has received a notification. That notification is, to a certain extent, a defect notice. The information that I don't have is whether or not more than one defect notice has been applied to a building owner. Regardless, of the 28 buildings, all those building owners have been notified. For South Australians' awareness, the way that we deal with defects in buildings—and, again, cladding is difficult but cladding is—

The Hon. A. Koutsantonis interjecting:

The SPEAKER: The member for West Torrens is warned. You have asked your question. I would like to hear the answer.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: Cladding is not unique. There is an existing process by which buildings that are not built up to scratch are dealt with and this is the process. This is the legislated ability that governments have—in this case, local government—to be able to enforce the building standards upon building owners, and it is why this mechanism is the one that needs to be used in order to see defect rectification undertaken. These building fire safety committees, which are populated by members of council but also of the Metropolitan Fire Service, are the right people with the expertise to be able to write those notices.

The other thing that I would say is that there has been a lot of commentary in the public sphere about the types of information that we have released publicly and, obviously, about the information that we have chosen not to release publicly. Can I say that the actions that we have taken have been consistent with actions in jurisdictions around the country. As a minister with some pretty serious responsibilities, the idea that I would do anything that would potentially give an arsonist the map to know which buildings to create the most havoc on, I think is irresponsible.

This isn't being alarmist. In fact, in the last week alone there have been two suspected arson attacks in South Australia, but more than that we are heading into the fire danger season and there are a group of firebugs who I understand are monitored because they have a proclivity—

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Point of order, sir.

The SPEAKER: There is a point of order. Minister, be seated for one minute. The point of order is for?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: I am not asking about public notification; I am asking about defect notices, sir.

The SPEAKER: The point of order is for?

The Hon. A. KOUTSANTONIS: Relevance, sir, debate.

The SPEAKER: Debate. I have the point of order. With fairness to the member for West Torrens, the question was pretty specific. I have allowed the minister some time to get to the point. I would ask him to come back to the substance of the question.

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: There are people who want to light fires, and this government is not going to be the one that provides the road map for somebody to be able to create the most havoc. That is irresponsible and something that we wouldn't do.

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: What is also very apparent is that there are those who would seek to create fear in the community irresponsibly off the back of this issue. But can I say that we as a government are taking the responsible action, we are taking the prudent action, we are taking the action in a timely manner, dealing with this most difficult issue more quickly than jurisdictions around the country. Building owners have all been notified. That notification quite clearly says to them that they have got some problems, that they have got some defect rectification that they need to go through—

Members interjecting:

The SPEAKER: Order!

Mr Malinauskas: Won't answer the question.

The SPEAKER: Leader!

The Hon. S.K. KNOLL: —and this is essentially what has happened as a result of the finalisation of the second stage of the audit. So, quite clearly, those extreme-risk buildings will have those defect rectification works undertaken immediately and for those buildings with a high-risk rating that work is expected to be completed over the next 12 months.