Owners of a Docklands high-rise gutted by fire have just two weeks before they must start to remove their block's flammable cladding, despite being entangled in an ongoing tribunal battle over the $24 million removal and repair costs.

The fire at the Lacrosse tower in 2014 sent shockwaves through the nation's construction industry, sparking major concerns over aluminium cladding used over four decades on thousands of Australian buildings.

Apartment owners are now suing the builder and other consultants to cover the costs. The result of the case could set a precedent for at least 100 other Victorian buildings, where residents may be left liable for cladding removal.

Lacrosse building's 2014 fire was exacerbated by its flammable cladding. Credit:Scott Barbour

No one was injured in the Docklands fire in November 2014. But concerns over cladding escalated dramatically in the wake of London’s deadly Grenfell fire – fuelled by the same flammable aluminium cladding – in which 72 people died.