Following London’s tragic Grenfell Tower fire in 2017, a NSW Government audit found that over 200 buildings across the State were deemed high risk and contained the same highly combustible cladding material responsible for this fire.
In response, the NSW Government established Project Remediate – a program that provides eligible apartment owners with 10-year interest free loans and expert advice to replace their cladding with materials that are certified and safe.
Since 2021, WSP’s Communications and Engagement team has been working with the Managing Contractor, Hansen Yuncken, to guide property owners through this complex and sometimes overwhelming process.
“This is a really challenging situation for many property owners given the amount of technical information they need to absorb and the significant financial decisions at stake,” says Nikolai Morozow, Director of Customer Engagement for Project Remediate, WSP.
“To overcome this hurdle, the program is broken down into a series of more manageable milestones, such as start-up and introductory meetings with owners, building inspections, architect site visits, and design and costing presentations.
“We take property owners on a carefully designed customer journey, so that at the end of the day they can see that their final remediation solution has been through a rigorous process that meets industry best practice and will result in quality outcomes.”
To complement these milestones, WSP created a suite of easy-to-understand communications materials, and its team of dedicated Building Engagement Consultants is on hand to answer any questions.
To date, WSP has engaged with over 230 buildings and recorded over 23,000 interactions with customers.
“We see our job as about empowering property owners with the knowledge they need to make the best decisions for their buildings and the people who live and work in them,” says Nikolai.
“By getting this right, we can make sure NSW has more resilient, sustainable and safe apartment buildings for generations to come.”
To find out more about how WSP can support your project contact our Communications and Engagement team.
Image caption: Facade investigation specialists removing the combustible cladding from a building in Sydney as part of Project Remediate
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