A strata committee helps the owners’ corporation make decisions about the strata scheme. It administers the day-to-day running of the strata scheme community and is elected at each annual general meeting.
A strata committee represents owners or owners’ nominees. The owners’ corporation chooses what the strata committee can decide on, but in general, most schemes give their strata committee the power to make decisions for things like:
- spending on day-to-day expenses related to running the scheme (eg hiring repairers, arranging insurance)
- approving applications under scheme by-laws (eg approving renovation requests)
- issuing a notice to comply with a by-law.
Delegating to a strata manager
If the strata committee delegates tasks to a strata manager, office bearers can focus on managing the strata property rather than worrying about compliance with legislation, audits, financial accounting, and managing tradespeople.
However, the owners’ corporation retains responsibility for the actions of a paid or volunteer strata manager, so office bearers should work closely with the strata manager to ensure all tasks are completed accurately and on time.
Electing a strata committee
The committee can include up to nine people, and the owners’ corporation elects the strata committee at each annual general meeting.
- Large schemes must have a minimum of three members.
- Schemes of just two lots must include both owners on the strata committee.
The following people are eligible to be elected to a strata committee.
- An individual owner.
- A company nominee of a corporation that’s an owner.
- A co-owner of a lot (only one co-owner can be a member simultaneously).
- An individual non-owner nominated by an owner not already on the committee (or seeking to be).
The following people can’t be a member of the strata committee.
- The building manager.
- A real estate agent who leases any property in the strata scheme to tenants.
- Someone connected to the scheme’s original owner (developer) or building manager, unless disclosed in writing before election.
- An owner who owes money to the scheme at the time of the AGM.
What are the office bearer roles?
The strata committee members decide who will hold the office bearer positions of Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer.
Chairperson: runs meetings and oversees administration.
The chairperson leads general meetings and strata committee meetings and determines quorums and procedural matters at those meetings. They don’t have a casting vote.
Secretary: arranges meetings, prepares and issues meeting agendas and minutes, updates the strata roll, issues notices and other correspondence.
Usually, the following functions are delegated to the strata manager.
- Maintaining the strata roll.
- Calling meetings of the committee and the owners’ corporation.
- Providing notices of meetings and other matters.
- Providing meeting minutes.
- Enabling inspections of books and records.
- Answering communications addressed to the owners’ corporation.
Treasurer: keeps accounting records and issues levy notices.
This includes preparing financial statements, receipting, banking and recording money paid to the owners’ corporation and providing the strata information certificate (when a lot is sold).
Replacing a strata committee member
If a member can’t attend a meeting, they can choose another committee member or owner to go on their behalf, provided the strata committee agrees. In such cases, they are known as an ‘acting’ member.
If a member leaves their position or the scheme, the committee can choose someone else to fill the job.
Or, if someone is removed from the committee by a general resolution, they won’t be eligible for re-election for 12 months after the resolution is passed.
