Strata Communities

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The NSW Government is opening consultation on a proposed centralised digital strata hub to make it easier for anyone who seeks to buy into a strata block to get information.

The hub will consolidate core information about NSW’s 82,000 strata schemes in one place, giving property purchasers insights in their potential new home while allowing the regulator to monitor each building’s ongoing maintenance and defect management.

It will start with Information collected during the construction phase of a building to help consumers make informed decisions about the trustworthiness of a building.

“It will also let the regulators keep a close eye on each strata building to make sure NSW homeowners are not burdened with avoidable building defects when maintenance is neglected,” the Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation Kevin Anderson said.

Anderson hopes it will ensure well-built properties continue to be maintained and managed successfully.

Subject to the passing of legislation and regulations, owners corporations will be required to report certain information about their schemes such as annual fire safety statements, address for service of notices, contact details for the scheme and litigation relating to defects.

“The tool will also manage the building defect bond after it is lodged through the NSW ePlanning portal, which pays for any defects found in the first 24 months after finishing the building work.”

Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said the proposed hub will be a game changer for communities.

“Whether you are a strata owner, occupier or prospective buyer, we want to make your life easier by making all the information relevant to your scheme available on one easy to use platform,” Mr Dominello said.

Have your say about the Strata Hub by 19 March online <a href="https://haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/access-strata-information">here</a>.

<h2>NSW properties selling now:</h2>

[smartcode_project:default project_id=7317]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=6201]

[smartcode_project:default project_id=32227]

 
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jchancellor

Find out which government is proposing a centralised digital strata hub

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More than one million people in NSW are being invited to have their say on how laws can be changed to improve the experience of the growing number of people living and working in strata communities.

Minister for Better Regulation Kevin Anderson said community consultation was now open as a crucial part of the statutory review of both the Strata Schemes Development Act 2015 and Strata Schemes Management Act 2015.

“With the continued surge in popularity of apartment living we expect over half the population of Greater Sydney to be living in strata titled apartment towers, townhouses and blocks of flats by 2040,” Mr Anderson said. “There are now 81,717 strata schemes registered in NSW and every year this number grows by more than 1,000 across both Sydney and regional NSW.

“It is important that the laws covering strata living stay relevant and address some of the fundamental issues that might be stopping people from fulfilling the great Australian dream of home ownership. “The Government’s landmark 2015 reforms modernised strata living, but we know there is more to do.

"In particular, we know more needs to be done to ensure that apartment buildings are well maintained and remain free of building defects over their lifetime so that owners aren’t left out of pocket by tens of thousands of dollars. That’s why we will be seeking feedback on changes that would require owners to disclose critical information about programmed maintenance, capital works spending and defects.”

Mr Anderson said feedback was also being sought on a new digital Strata Portal that will capture mandatory information for each strata building in NSW and make it available to the regulator to ensure compliance with fire and other important safety requirements.

“Strata schemes are integral to supporting NSW’s growing population and housing boom. As more and more people choose to call NSW home, strata living holds the key to encouraging growing cities and urban development which is why this review is so important to ensure we make strata living more appealing,” Mr Anderson said.
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Community consultation is now open as a crucial part of the statutory review of two the strata scheme acts



Joel Robinson

Strata laws in New South Wales to be reviewed

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ABC’s latest Four Corners program that examined the widespread use of flammable aluminium cladding on potentially thousands of Australian buildings has evoked strong responses from the strata management community.
The devastating <a href="https://www.urban.com.au/news/71724-grenfell-tower-disaster-how-did-the-fire-spread-so-quickly" target="_blank">Grenfell Tower fire</a> in London, which claimed about 80 lives, brought into focus the flammable aluminium cladding used in buildings for decades in Australia. 
The show, titled Combustible, was reported by Debbie Whitmont and presented by Sarah Ferguson.
The Four Corners investigation revealed that some international manufacturers and their Australian suppliers knew the risks of using PE cladding on high-rise buildings, but put cutting costs over safety and continued importing the flammable material because of ambiguous regulation.
A preliminary audit in NSW has identified 1,011 buildings that require investigation. The number across Australia would go into thousands.
Leading strata management body, Strata Community Australia, says tens of thousands of apartment owners Australia wide are unfairly facing the prospect of a multi-million dollar bill to fix buildings impacted by flammable cladding.
“Our fear is that tens of thousands of apartment owners around the country, could be left to face this serious safety threat alone, and we want to see Federal Government intervention ASAP,”  said a SCA spokesperson.
And it’s not just residential buildings, even hospitals, shopping centres and commercial buildings, have been built with flammable aluminium cladding.
“Last week the Federal Government announced that it will not consider tougher screening measures at the border to stop unsafe building materials, and lieu of this decision, we want to hear from the Prime Minister on what action his government will be considering,” said the SCA media release.
SCA is the top industry body for Body Corporate and Community Title Management in Australia &amp; New Zealand that manages a combined property portfolio of more than $1.2 trillion.
Meanwhile, developers’ body, Master Builders, has sought to reach out to address the problem and said people must have faith in their work. 
“Master Builders and its 33,000 members want the community to have faith in the safety of our built environment,” Denita Wawn, CEO of Master Builders Australia said in a media response.
“It’s completely understandable that fires at the Grenfell Tower in the UK and the Lacrosse building in Victoria have highlighted the importance of a regulatory system that has the confidence of both the community and the building industry,” she said.
“As Master Builders has consistently said, the challenge is to make more effective the extensive and robust regulatory regime that ensures the safe use of building products,” Denita Wawn said.
She said that this was mainly the responsibility of government, but requires the combined effort from all those in the building and construction supply chain.
“A National Taskforce established by Master Builders and comprised of experts from across Australia is progressing policy reforms that support quality and safety of our homes, workplaces, hospitals and other public buildings,” Denita Wawn said.
“Master Builders has been calling for a range of reforms that applies to the whole building supply chain. This includes the need for a centrally administered building product certification system with clear, accessible information and improved rigor and enforcement of the current regulations,” she said.
“Ensuring that everyone in the construction chain – manufacturers, designers, importers, wholesalers, regulators and builders - has access to clear, consistent and readily available (and reliable) information about building products will assist to reduce the incidence of them being used in a non-compliant way.”
She cited government efforts so far that include draft amendments to the National Construction Code around fire safety and the online information hub established by the Australian Building Codes Board.
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prateek24-ezbwHMbNAk

Strata body calls for federal action to fix cladding issue in Four Corners aftermath

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The Indooroopilly Bowls Club has finally sold for $1.3 million, four years on from it's closure following an ongoing strata struggle.
The buyers, two local families, purchased the 4,507 sqm property and it will become known as Indooroopilly Greens designed to be a "destination hub nown for quality, passion and community when it comes to health, movement, fitness and food."
Situated at 101 Clarence Road the anchor tenant is Fitter Futures a kid and teen focused movement training facility which is expanding to include adult programmes.
The sale of the property was negotiated by Adam Willmore of Knight Frank, who was appointed by liquidators Morgan Lane and Michael Griffin from Worrells Solvency and Forensic Accountants.
Mr Willmore said he had received well over 100 enquiries from buyers with wide-ranging uses for the property over the four years he had been marketing it.
He said, "it has been a long and difficult process to get to this point where the property will be sold,” the site is essentially one strata unit that is part of the Body Corporate that also governs the 134 residential apartments on the Clarence Road property."
"As such, any incoming buyer needed to obtain body corporate approvals if they wanted to operate anything other than a bowls club."
“Unfortunately there were no club operators interested in the property at an acceptable price level and the majority of the interest in the property was from buyers with alternate uses in mind.”
Mr Willmore said the bowling greens were also zoned Sports and Recreation and sit above basement carparking so there was no development potential in the site.
“We previously had it under contract a number of times to buyers wanting to purchase it for other uses including childcare but the body corporate did not support these buyers’ use for the property,” he added.
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