An audit carried out by the Melbourne and Olympic Park Trust last year had identified combustible materials on the Hisense Arena at the Melbourne Park, the venue of the annual Australian Open Tennis Championship.

One of the showpiece tennis courts for the Australian Open, the building has what was found to be combustible cladding on its exterior. However, the Victorian Government and authorities have said that there is no risk to spectators watching the matches at the 10,000-seat venue.

The cladding will be removed by the Trust during the refurbishment planned for the venue next year.

Trust chief executive Brian Morris says that they have taken sufficient precautions to create a safe environment, such as removing potential ignition points and deploying staff to review at-risk areas.

The venue has also increased their preparedness including having the Metropolitan Fire Brigade on board during the international tournament.

Cladding on buildings in Australia has come under the scanner following the devastating Grenfell Tower fire in London and the Lacrosse apartments in Docklands closer to home.

About 1,400 buildings including eight hospitals in Victoria are reported to have combustible cladding, according to a safety audit conducted late last year.

Lack of regulation and inability to prevent the import of cheap illegal building materials are being blamed for the availability of combustible cladding in the market.

The neighbouring AAMI Park stadium also features polyurethane cladding, which is classified as combustible.