Hospitals, Aluminium Cladding

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Leader of the Opposition) (14:34): I seek leave to make a brief explanation before asking the Minister for Health and Wellbeing a question about hospitals.

Leave granted.

The Hon. K.J. MAHER: It was reported today that there is aluminium cladding that poses a risk in five regional hospitals around South Australia: they being Mount Gambier, Port Pirie, Port Augusta, Whyalla and Port Lincoln. The aluminium cladding that was used in the devastating Grenfell Tower fire in London was black core aluminium cladding, and we know that it had disastrous effects. It is understood that there is further investigation at these five hospitals about the exact risk that the aluminium cladding poses. My questions to the minister are:

1. Has the minister or his office received a copy of the new audit report scheduled to be released within the next month?

2. Can the minister assure people in these regional areas that the cladding is not the highly flammable black core cladding that was found in the Grenfell Tower?

3. What has the minister personally been doing to ensure the safety of both patients and visitors to these hospitals?

The Hon. S.G. WADE (Minister for Health and Wellbeing) (14:35): I thank the honourable member for his question. The initial advice I have received from the office of minister Knoll is that his department has concluded the investigation phase of the cladding audit, which includes a group of hospitals. That advice states that none of these hospitals were rated above a moderate risk. This means they either had a minimal safety risk or provided sufficient fire safety provisions to allow occupants and visitors to safely exit the building during a facade fire event.