FEATURE
Victoria leads the way with A
partment owners are reaping the benefits of independent project management support for government-funded cladding rectification, Cladding Safety Victoria has found.
Owners have reported that IPM support made it easier for them to navigate complex projects. Cladding Safety Victoria is the state agency funding rectification on higherrisk apartment buildings and has also funded independent project managers to oversee each project and act on behalf of owners corporations. Owners corporation Chair Philip Tuttle said the IPM played a crucial role during the rectification of his Ocean Grove property.
Project Manager Brodie Fraser of MBB Consulting said working on Victoria’s cladding rectification program had given her a unique professional experience. “The cladding rectification program first appealed to me as it utilises technical knowledge and stakeholder management skills while enhancing community safety and reducing risk,” Brodie said. “There’s a lot of emotion involved for owners, and many have been under a lot of emotional and financial stress, so relationship management is crucial on these projects.” Before overseeing cladding rectification works, Ms Fraser was a project engineer specialising in facades. Her previous projects included the Victorian Pride Centre in St Kilda and Industry Lanes in Richmond.
“Initially I thought it may not be necessary but it turned out to be a real “I enjoy working closely with head advantage, especially when works got contractors, owners corporations and underway and CSV to deliver There’s a lot of progress payments these extremely had to be made,” emotion involved important projects,” Mr Tuttle said. she said. for owners, and many have Cladding Safety been under a lot of emotional Ms Fraser has Victoria CEO Dan also found that O’Brien said having and financial stress, so more women are project managers relationship management is taking on project from outside management work, crucial on these projects. the organisation compared to when had proved to Project Manager Brodie Fraser she started in be a worthwhile construction. of MBB Consulting investment for “When I started owners. my career, it was “Rectification work is complex uncommon that I would work with and highly specialised, having an another female, now eight years later I’m independent project manager act on conversing with females on a day-tobehalf of the owners means they have day basis. Currently, two of the project direct access to an expert manager from managers that I’m working with on CSV the early design stage, during works and projects are female,” she said. through the post-rectification process. Across Victoria, Cladding Safety Victoria “Owners corporation members are has financed rectification work that is made up of apartment owners who now underway on more than 250 higherall have their own jobs, families, lives risk apartment buildings. Work is now – overseeing a cladding rectification complete on more than 100 buildings. project simply isn’t feasible for most.” Buildings are referred to Cladding The concept of a state-funded project Safety Victoria as part of the Victorian manager for cladding rectification statewide cladding audit or from council has since been adopted elsewhere in municipal building surveyors. This has led Australia. to Cladding Safety Victoria meeting with
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Master Builders Victoria
more than 540 owners corporations, representing buildings largely based in Melbourne and some in regional areas. Before rectification works begin,
Volume 77 Issue 01