Victoria’s construction industry wants a state government amnesty for builders to come forward and report potentially deadly flammable cladding without fear of prosecution.

The Master Builders Association says the Andrews government's get-tough approach, including "litigious posturing" and rhetoric on dodgy builders, is damaging the effort to tackle the crisis.

The cladding on a building in Melbourne that caught fire earlier this year. Credit:Jason South.

More than 1200 buildings with risky levels of flammable cladding are included on the state government's list – which is not publicly available – but the association believes there are potentially many more buildings around Victoria that could be dangerous.

Builders, spooked by the state government’s tough rhetoric, are afraid to come forward and co-operate with authorities to identify potential fire traps, according to their peak body.