Interstate apartment owners to access online Queensland strata management meetings

The Queensland government has revealed a modernised set of body corporate regulations that applies to strata unit management from March 1, 2021. The new set of regulations that lay out changes that will assist management transparency were announced by Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Shannon Fentima. They apply to new and long established body corporates. They will facilitate electronic voting and attendance at meetings for absentee owners, including remote personal attendance by teleconference or videoconference. The electronic voting system may allow votes to elect committee members to be cast by computer, smartphone or tablet. The new rules will encourage the use of email and other forms of electronic communication for the exchange of information and documents within bodies corporate, which ought reduce the hefty photocopying costs of strata management. If owners give their email address to the body corporate as a part of their address for service, they will be consenting to receive all documents from the body corporate by email. The rules also clarify and improve the list of documents that original owners or developers must provide to the body corporate to facilitate effective governance of the scheme. It will encourage early identification and remedy of building defects by requiring a body corporate to consider a motion to prepare a defect assessment report at its second annual general meeting. Motions submitted by members of the body corporate before the first annual general meeting must be included on the agenda, where possible. The original developer owner will need to give additional items to the body corporate, including a copy of its development approval, any fire and evacuation plans required under the Fire and Emergency Services Act 1990 and any contracts or agreements for the supply of utility services to the body corporate. The updated set of rules require the body corporate manager, and the caretaking service contractor, to disclose any associated commission, payment or other benefit received, including the amount of the benefit if it’s monetary, before a body corporate decides to enter into a contract, including for insurance. From 1 March 2021, the maximum number of committee voting members will depend on the number of lots in the scheme, with fewer than 7 lots, the maximum number will be equal to the number of lots. If it includes more than 7 lots, the maximum will be 7—unless it is a principal scheme at no more than 12. Fentima said the government was still working on establishing a Community Titles Legislation Working Group which will provide advice to the government on a range of issues impacting the community titles sector. https://www.qld.gov.au/law/housing-and-neighbours/body-corporate/legislation-and-bccm/regulation-changes/summary