Canberra hospital found to have same combustible cladding as Grenfell Tower

The ACT Government will replace cladding on the facade of Centenary Hospital for Women and Children, after the panelling was found to contain the same combustible core as that on London's Grenfell Tower.

The UK tragedy prompted an audit of all ACT Government buildings and the Health Directorate is the first to produce results.

Five to ten percent of panels on the facade of the Centenary Hospital will need to be replaced, but the government is yet to say when that will occur.

The panels are located around emergency exit pathways.

Addressing the issue today in the ACT Legislative Assembly, Planning Minister Mick Gentleman admitted the government has known about the issue of combustible cladding for a decade.

"The ACT was the first Australian jurisdiction to raise concerns about the issue," he said.

Mr Gentleman explained the cladding itself is not seen as risky and is considered safe, if installed properly.

Director-General of the Planning Directorate, Ben Ponton, confirmed the potential for risk has been known since 2007.

He said a working group was carrying out audits of government assets and that results from the Education and Housing Directorates would be released "in a matter of days to weeks".

The ACT Opposition questioned whether flammable cladding had been used on the new University of Canberra Public Hospital.

Health Minister Meegan Fitzharris clarified the ACT's new mental health unit, and the UC public hospital, does no contain combustible cladding.

She stressed that the Centenary Hospital remains safe.

"It is a safe and modern building," she said.

"We will go the extra mile and make sure these panels are removed."

The ACT Opposition further questioned whether the cladding could be removed immediately, before new panels are fitted.

The Health Minister said it's an issue the government is investigating and that remediation would occur as soon as possible.