The NSW Strata Magazine | June 2023

Page 1

The NSW STRATA MAGAZINE

Dealing

up repair work when mould is an issue
Speeding
Page 16 | Strata Insurance Solutions
2023
Conversion of Strata Air or Roof Space
JUNE
The
Page 26 | Asset Strata Valuers
with
to install residential battery storage
a request
systems Page 12 | Altogether Group

About Us

LookUpStrata is Australia’s Top Property Blog Dedicated to Strata Living. The site has been providing reliable strata information to lot owners, strata managers and other strata professionals since 2013.

As well as publishing legislative articles to keep their audience up to date with changes to strata, this family owned business is known for their national Q&A service that provides useful responses to lot owners and members of the strata industry. They have created a national network of leading strata specialists across Australia who assist with 100s of the LookUpStrata audiences’ queries every month.

Strata information is distributed freely to their dedicated audience of readers via regular Webinars, Magazines and Newsletters. The LookUpStrata audience also has free access to The LookUpStrata Directory, showcasing 100s of strata service professionals from across Australia. To take a look at the LookUpStrata Directory, flip to the end of this magazine.

Meet the team

Nikki began building LookUpStrata back in 2012 and officially launched the company early 2013. With a background in Information Management, LookUpStrata has helped Nikki realise her mission of providing detailed, practical, and easy to understand strata information to all Australians.

Nikki shares her time between three companies, including Tower Body Corporate, a body corporate company in SEQ.

Nikki is also known for presenting regular strata webinars, where LookUpStrata hosts a strata expert to cover a specific topic and respond to audience questions.

Liza came on board in early 2020 to bring structure to LookUpStrata. She has a passion for processes, growth and education. This quickly resulted in the creation of The Strata Magazine released monthly in New South Wales and Queensland, and bi-monthly in Western Australia and Victoria. As of 2021, LookUpStrata now produce 33 state based online magazines a year.

Among other daily tasks, Liza is involved in scheduling and liaising with upcoming webinar presenters, sourcing responses to audience questions and assisting strata service professionals who are interested in growing their business.

https://www.lookupstrata.com.au/about-us/

→ administration@lookupstrata.com.au

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Disclaimer: The information contained in this magazine, including the response to submitted questions, is not legal advice and should not be relied upon as legal advice. You should seek independent advice before acting on the information contained in this magazine.

4 National Webinar: Strata Insurance Commissions. Where do you sit?

LookUpStrata

6 Wait now, pay more later.

Lannock Strata Finance

8 Storage room access and rental arrangements

Shane Williamson, Williamson Lawyers Pty Ltd

10 Can a bylaw restrict access to the pool?

Allison Benson, Kerin Benson Lawyers

12 Dealing with a request to install residential battery storage systems

Nigel Collins, Altogether Group

14 Does each electronic door lock need a backup power source in case of a power failure?

Jake Sharp, MiMOR

16 Speeding up repair work when mould is an issue

Tyrone Shandiman, Strata Insurance Solutions

18 Can one lot owner appoint a new strata manager?

Leanne Habib, Premium Strata

20 Are your owners adequately insured? Rawlinsons Cost Management

22 Asbestos concerns in an old building

Pierrette Khoury, Khoury Lawyers

24 Generally, what strata records are managed well?

Michael Ferrier, Eyeon Property Inspections

26 The Conversion of Strata Air or Roof Space

Asset Strata Valuers

28 When dealing with nuisance, how important is record keeping

Brenton Pittman, Applicant in the Pittman v Newport [2022] NSWCATCD 173 case

30 What if the breaching owner pays the NCAT fine but continues to breach (flooring)?

Leanne Habib, Premium Strata

32 Accessing your strata plan

Rod Smith, The Strata Collective

34 Higher returns on the capital works fund

Tim Fuller, Strata Guardian

36 Obligation to fix, rather than repair, a serious defect

Michael Hopwood, Valen Projects

38 What’s the latest on building defects?

SCA NSW

40 Project Intervene’s registration deadline is approaching… fast!

Bruce Mckenzie, Sedgwick and Yolande Nyss and Elizabeth Stewart, NSW Department of Customer Service

42 The NSW LookUpStrata Directory

Thanks to our sponsors

Contents

Strata Insurance Commissions Where do you stand?

Join us for an important webinar that delves into the contentious topic of strata insurance commissions. This event is your chance to be part of the conversation.

Our panel of experts will explore the advantages and disadvantages of the current commission systems, highlighting potential cost savings and emphasising the significance of consumer choice. We’ll also delve into the roles of strata managers and brokers, examining the need for transparency and disclosure.

Don’t miss this opportunity. Our diverse panel will debate the evolving landscape of strata insurance and its impact on all stakeholders. Register now to be part of an empowering session that promotes consumer rights and industry best practices.

KEY POINTS OUR DIVERSE PANEL WILL COVER INCLUDE:

• The commission system is a valid model for strata management agencies to assist with insurance matters and receive compensation.

• Transparency is essential for consumers to understand how the commission model works and the associated pros and cons.

• Alternative models in the industry offer opportunities for greater diversity and competition, potentially benefiting individual schemes.

• Adopting alternative models may not necessarily result in cost savings for owners and may lead to higher costs.

• If we remove commissions, strata managers will most likely continue to play a role in the insurance process and charge fees for that service.

• The industry must address concerns about questionable practices and promote greater transparency, disclosure and consumer choice.

• The focus should be on ensuring consumers have a greater choice and transparency. Place the priority on the consumer’s best interests in strata insurance arrangements.

• The industry should strive for improved disclosure practices, promote remuneration model choices and monitor the impacts to recommend further reforms if necessary.

• Ongoing education and collaboration among brokers, strata managers and owners corporations is crucial for enhancing understanding and achieving the best insurance options.

• Prohibiting conflicted remuneration, improving fee structures and introducing anti-price exploitation legislation create increased transparency, accountability, competition and confidence in strata management and insurance.

Don’t miss this opportunity to be part of the discussion.

REGISTER NOW.

NATIONAL WEBINAR

We have curated a diverse selection of strata professionals, ensuring a broad array of perspectives and viewpoints will be represented.

Date: 22 June 2023

Time: 10 – 11:30AM AEST

CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NATIONAL WEBINAR
Strata Insurance Commissions
do you stand?
MEET THE PANEL
NAT:
Where
Nikki Jovicic Director/Owner LookUpStrata William Marquand Senior Strata Manager Tower Body Corporate Tyrone Shandiman Chairperson of Australian Consumers Insurance Lobby Chris Duggan President SCA National Karen Stiles OCN Michael Kleinschmidt Strata Lawyer Bugden Allen Graham Lawyers Anirudh Kakulapati Chief Customer Officer CHU Damon Casci National Strategic Partnership Manager Whitbread Insurance Brokers
Strata professionals attending the
session
live webinar
receive 0.5 SCA CPD points

Wait now, pay more later.

There has been a lot of discussion about record increases in the price of real estate over the last 12 months but there is a more pressing issue that strata owners need to be aware of – the rising cost of construction works.

A combination of booming demand, labour shortage, material shortages and supply chain disruptions are creating the perfect storm for increased construction costs.

According to CoreLogic’s Research Director Tim Lawless, the heightened construction activity and rising costs experienced across Australia won’t be going away soon and will likely cause affordability challenges for owners across the country.

“The quarterly rate of growth in construction costs is happening everywhere and is not restricted to one city or state, it’s a national trend,” he said.

“This construction cost inflation could continue for another 12 to 18 months. It’s unlikely the industry can absorb a cost increase this significant into their margins

and higher construction costs will ultimately be passed on to the consumer, placing further upwards pressure on the price of a new dwelling or renovation.”

“The quarterly rate of growth in construction costs is happening everywhere and is not restricted to one city or state, it’s a national trend,”

Already we’ve seen just how much pressure is being placed on the construction industry, with Probuild and Condev both going into liquidation in recent weeks.

In short, costs are going up and the construction industry is buckling under the pressure.

The more you delay, the more you will pay.

Owners corporations who choose to delay any rectification, maintenance or uplift work on their property may be setting themselves up for a shock later on.

Regarding funding of any works, the corporation always has three options: to

accumulate a Maintenance Fund over time, to have a Special Levy or to Borrow (or a combination of these three methods).

It takes time to accumulate moneys in a Maintenance Fund. Special Levies should be a quick solution but will be delayed if there are owners who find the cash flow impost too large.

“In short, costs are going up and the construction industry is buckling under the pressure. ”

A strata loan is immediate, unsecured and does not involve a mortgage, personal financials or guarantees.

So, what’s the right decision?

As with any big decision, it’s important to be informed. If your clients are looking at rectifying defects or considering maintenance or renewal/uplift projects over the next few years, it will be important to discuss with them the implications should they choose to delay the works.

This article is brought to you by Lannock Strata Finance.

When you finance your strata project with Lannock, you are dealing with the industry experts. Having operated for nearly 20 years, our friendly team have the knowledge and experience to deliver the funds you require.

We finance capital works for owner corporations and body corporates around Australia including repairs, renovations, cladding rectification, defect rectification, strata asset renewal, professional services, litigation and re-development.

Storage room access and rental arrangements

We’ve used a storage room on our floor for over 20 years. The committee has decided to charge rent for the room. Can they request we pay $600 a month to rent the room prior to a decision being reached at the AGM?

Our owners corporation has a by-law providing that fobs can only access respective floors in our building. Various residents on our level (8) have shared a storeroom located on this floor for the past 20 years. The room is not classified as a storage area on the strata plan like other storage areas in the complex. The residents were advised maintenance of the room was the shared responsibility of the lot owners on level 8, not the owners corporation.

The strata committee would now like to rent the storeroom. We’ve been told to either remove our items or start paying rent at an amount of $600 per month.

If the storeroom is offered to others in the building, we feel the security and privacy of the residents on our floor would be compromised.

Do we have any rights? Can the committee impose a rent prior a decision being made at the AGM?

Attend the general meeting and voice any concerns prior to the owners voting on the resolution.

Based upon the information provided, it appears the room you are referring to is common property.

I also assume there are no by-laws in place in relation to the room.

Section 112 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 provides the owners corporation with the right to licence the room, subject to the licence being approved by the passing of a special resolution:

112 Owners corporation may grant licence to use common property

1. An owners corporation may grant a licence to an owner or occupier of a lot in the strata scheme or another person to use common property in a particular manner or for particular purposes if the owners corporation has approved the granting of the licence by a special resolution.

2. A licence may be granted subject to terms and conditions.

3. Without limiting this section, a licence may be granted under an agreement with the local council for a strata parking area under section 650A of the Local Government Act 1993.

The owners corporation will usually have a solicitor draft a licence agreement.

The licence agreement will then be annexed to the notice of the general meeting pursuant to which the special resolution is to be made.

You may wish to make enquires with the strata manager to obtain a copy of the licence agreement before the notice of the general meeting is issued. You should inform the strata manager that you have concerns in relation to people having free access to level 8, that the licence agreement should have terms and conditions to maintain security on level 8, and you would like to review the licence agreement to ensure it does not impact upon your security or privacy.

For example, you may consider if the licence agreement should limit the number of people who may at any time hold a licence to use the room, limit the number of access cards issued for use in relation to the room, place restrictions on items which may be stored in the room (no flammable goods, no perishable foods, etc.).

It would be better for you if your concerns are incorporated into the terms and conditions of the licence agreement before the agreement is annexed to the notice of the general meeting.

You should attend the general meeting and voice any concerns prior to the owners voting

www.lookupstrata.com.au 8

on the resolution. If you wish to propose changes to the wording of the agreement, or restrictions on who may licence the room, you should be prepared to discuss such matters at the general meeting.

In relation to your concerns regarding security and privacy, a properly considered licence agreement should be able to cater for these concerns. I provided a few examples of how your concerns could be addressed above. If you consider your security and privacy is compromised by anyone else accessing level 8 to use the room, and no one else should have access to level 8, you should be prepared to substantiate these concerns at the general meeting.

It is not clear why the owners corporation would advise you have the responsibility to maintain the room. This implies the owners corporation knew you were using the room. You should obtain legal advice in relation to whether any legal rights for you to use the room arise from this.

In relation to whether the owners corporation may impose a charge of $600 on you to use the room. Based upon the information provided, it

appears the owners corporation does not have the right to impose this charge at this time. However it may also be the case that you do not have authority to use the room. The owners corporation may have the right to ask you to remove your property from the room and stop accessing the room. You should double check the registered by-laws and check whether there is anything in writing (for example minutes of meetings) authorising you to use the room. You should obtain legal advice in relation to this before any licence is put to a general meeting for resolution.

If you consider you should have the right to continue to use the room because you have used it for the last 20 years, you should obtain legal advice before any licence is put to a general meeting.

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Can a bylaw restrict access to the pool?

Can a mixed-use strata scheme have a bylaw restricting owners of commercial property lots from accessing the swimming pool when all lot owners contribute to the common property upkeep of the pool?

If you’re contributing to a pool and you’re restricted from accessing the pool, I think that bylaw could be harsh, unconscionable and oppressive.

You can have a bylaw where you say the exclusive use right for the pool belongs to all lot owners of the residential lots, but then you also make them pay for it. That would get up, but a bylaw saying commercial owners can’t use the pool? If you’re contributing to that common property, I think that bylaw could be harsh, unconscionable and oppressive. You get what you pay for. If I’m paying for the upkeep and maintenance of the pool, I want to use it, even if it’s just to look at and dip my toe in once every six months.

READ MORE HERE
www.lookupstrata.com.au 10

Dealing with a request to install residential battery storage systems

The body corporate will need to consider the safety and security implications of the solar battery and the potential for damage to the common property.

The rules designed to guide the safe installation of residential battery storage systems are called the AS/NZ 5139 and should be used to determine the suitable location for installing battery storage.

Further, the rules regarding the installation of solar batteries on the exterior of a lot owner’s house or other parts of common property will depend on the strata scheme’s by-laws and regulations.

Generally speaking, lot owners need to seek approval from the body corporate before works can be carried out on common property. It is likely that the body corporate will need to consider the safety and security implications of the solar battery, as well as the potential for damage to the common property.

A lot owner has requested permission to install solar batteries on common property. Can we insist the batteries are installed within the lot?

A lot owner requested and has been granted permission to install solar panels on his roof. This owner has further requested permission to install a battery system either on common property or on the exterior of his lot, which we understand is also common property.

We are concerned about the installation and would prefer the batteries are installed within the lot. Is this a valid request?

If the body corporate does not grant approval due to a safety concern, then the lot owner may need to consider additional cement sheeting or other non-combustible material where there is a habitable room on the other side of the installation.

READ

www.lookupstrata.com.au 12
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We’re passionate about creating sustainable communities. Leaders in the utility industry, we continuously lobby the government on matters to help improve customer protections. With imminent legislation changes on the way, we’re also well positioned to help Strata Managers and Body Corporates navigate their way through the new obligations and rights. That’s why we’re here to help with the Altogether Academy.

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Does each electronic door lock need a backup power source in case of a power failure?

Our building is considering installing electronic locks on all doors. What happens when the power goes out? Will each electronic door lock need a backup power source?

If battery operated door handles have a code, fingerprint or fob, these WILL continue to work even in a power outage.

If doors are hard wired and the power goes out, no doors will work.

However, if a system is hard wired to, say, the building entrance door or garage door, and there is a power outage, the doors would only work if there is a backup power battery. Some buildings have backup power batteries that last a few hours or longer. If this is the case, the system will continue to work as long as the backup power battery lasts.

If a building or apartment door uses a battery operated door handle controlled by a mobile phone, the doors will stop working during a power outage as these doors rely on wifi. Wifi is generally connected to the power and, therefore, would not operate during a power failure.

If the battery operated door handles have a code, fingerprint or fob, these WILL continue to work even in a power outage.

To recap:

1. Hard wired doors would not work in a power outage.

2. Doors with a backup battery will work for as long as the backup power battery lasts.

3. Doors that use batteries to operate the door handles and use their mobile phone to open and rely on wifi will not work if there is a power outage as the wifi replies on power unless the power has a backup battery connected.

4. Doors that use batteries to operate the door handles will continue to work if they can be opened via a pin code, fingerprint or fob. A power outage would not affect these doors.

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READ MORE HERE

Speeding up repair work when mould is an issue

We located a leak. The insurer’s builder has quoted a delay before work can commence. We are worried about mould. Can we speed up the repair process?

We own and live in our apartment with our two children. We noticed a leak in the apartment a few months ago. The leak was between the internal wall and the block work under our kitchen sink.

The strata insurance has a $5K excess. The builder has provided a quote of $8K. We haven’t received a building inspection report or itemised quote despite the inspection taking place a month ago.

The builder has given at least a 5-week wait before he can attend to start an invasive investigation under the sink and carry out repairs.

Is there any way the repair can be fasttracked? We are concerned about the health implications if there are delays. My partner has a medically identified mould/mildew allergy and is taking medication to cope.

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Owners are able to engage their own local repairers. In fact, this can sometimes be a better option as the cost of repairs for the insurer’s repairers can be higher due to project management fees associated with the insurer’s repairers.

The repair process can also be faster if you use your own repairer.

It must be noted the insurer does not guarantee the work of any tradesperson they do not engage and therefore, the owner will need to take any workmanship issues up with the builder themselves.

If you are using your own builder, we suggest you arrange a quote and submit it for the insurer to confirm coverage prior to work starting. As your reasoning for using an alternate builder, include your health concerns due to the mould.

Given the health issues, consider whether it is appropriate to ask the insurer to consider the Temporary Accommodation benefit under the policy. This is designed to offer temporary accommodation when the property is uninhabitable or unfit to be occupied for its intended purpose..

tshandiman@iaa.net.au

The repair process can be faster if you use your own repairer.
READ MORE HERE

Can one lot owner appoint a new strata manager?

Can one lot owner in a six lot strata scheme form a strata committee and then sign with a new strata management agency?

Can one lot owner in a six lot strata scheme form a strata committee and then sign with a new strata management agency? Does that one owner hold the majority vote to do so? Can the one owner create the seal necessary under section 237 of the Strata Scheme Management Act to sign contracts on behalf of the owners corporation?

Not single-handedly and unilaterally, no.

Not single-handedly and unilaterally, no. Strata committee members must be appointed at each annual general meeting. Though it is possible for one person to be the strata committee and hold all the office bearer’s positions, it does not appear that this is the case in your scenario.

Irrespective of whether that one person comprises the strata committee, a strata management agency agreement must be approved by ordinary resolution at a duly convened meeting of the owners corporation (not a strata committee meeting). That person has no power under the legislation to appoint a new strata managing agent. Approval from the owners corporation is required. Any licensed strata managing agent would be aware of that statutory requirement.

The relevant provision regarding who may keep the owners corporation’s seal, Section 272, is set out below (emphasis added). Since the self-appointed one person strata committee is spurious, that person likely has no authority to keep or create the seal or indeed affix it to any instrument of appointment:

272 Persons who may keep seals of owners corporations

1. If an owners corporation has only one owner, the seal of the owners corporation must be kept by the owner or by the strata managing agent of the owners corporation.

2. If an owners corporation has 2 or more owners, the seal of the owners corporation must be kept—

a. by an owner, or member of the strata committee, that the owners corporation determines is to keep the seal or, in the absence of a determination, by the secretary of the owners corporation, or

b. by the strata managing agent of the owners corporation.

READ MORE HERE
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ARE YOUR OWNERS ADEQUATELY INSURED?

An accurate insurance replacement valuation gives all property owners the peace of mind that in the unfortunate event of loss or damage, the property will be fully covered Hidden costs are often forgotten, such as demolition works, professional fees and escalation, which can lead to being under insured and result in replacement cost liabilities

WHO SHOULD PREPARE AN INSURANCE REPLACEMENT VALUATION?

Preparing an Insurance Replacement Valuation requires expertise in construction costs, market conditions and the relevant local legislation and insurance requirements. Professional Quantity Surveyors are best suited to provide this skillset The core skills of a Quantity Surveyor includes measurement of building areas, estimating construction costs of buildings, assessing current market conditions and a technical understanding of construction techniques

WHAT IS INCLUDED/EXCLUDED FROM THE VALUATION REPORT?

An Insurance Replacement Valuation should include the following costs:

Capital Construction Costs of Building, External Works and Services

Construction Contingency

Demolition Costs

Professional Fees

Development Application Fees

Escalation during the Design and Documentation Period

Escalation During the Lapse Period

The following items are not usually covered in an Insurance Replacement Valuation:

Loose furniture, fittings and equipment (contents)

Tenancy fit out costs

Loss of revenue/profit

Temporary accommodation costs during the re-building phase

Legal fees

Financing costs

Australia Wide Rawlinsons Insurance Replacement Valuations www.rawlinsonswa.com.au

DOES THE VALUATION REPORT NEED TO BE UPDATED ANNUALLY?

Replacement values should be reviewed annually however, it is not necessary to prepare a full initial cost of replacement every year, it is sufficient to apply a percentage for escalation, however a full review should be undertaken at least every 2-3 years and no more than 5 years

This will ensure changes in demolition and construction costs, alterations and additions to the insured property, or any change in the properties classification will be insured to the correct value.

Additionally, if there have been any asset improvements, refurbishments or extensions then the value will need to be updated as soon as possible to ensure the full value is covered.

Rawlinsons Cost Management have been in operation for 70 years Their team are highly experienced Quantity Surveyors who provide detailed and accurate Insurance Replacement Valuation Reports in accordance with the Australian Institute of Quantity Surveyors (AIQS) best practice and are compliant with local legislative and insurance requirements

Rawlinsons research, compile and edit annual publications on Australian construction cost data which covers all Australian states and territories. Rawlinson Australian Construction Handbook is the most extensive library of cost data in Australian. This cost data is used by the team when compiling Insurance Replacement Valuations and ensures that the information used is up to date and in line with current market conditions.

Engaging with Rawlinsons Cost Management to undertake your next Insurance Replacement Valuation will ensure you reduce your risk and can have confidence that the cost of your most valuable asset is adequately insured

Australia Wide Rawlinsons Insurance Replacement Valuations www.rawlinsonswa.com.au

Asbestos concerns in an old building

Our old building has vermiculite ceilings throughout. The ceiling seems to be failing and particles of dust are falling in units and common areas. What do we do?

I am on the committee of a NSW strata titled unit block. All units and common areas have vermiculite ceilings. They were in vogue when the block was built about 40 years ago.

Tenants in one unit have raised a safety concern with the vermiculite ceiling regarding the asbestos content. The ceiling seems to be failing and particles of dust are falling from the ceiling.

Is the maintenance of the vermiculite ceiling the responsibility of the lot owner or the owners corporation?

In 2015, we had an asbestos report but no specific testing of the vermiculite in the common areas was done. At the time it was low concern.

No testing has been done in individual units. As part of the report, are we required to have the individual units tested for asbestos?

In some cases the presence of asbestos may be deemed low risk and should not be tampered with, however, only a qualified asbestos consultant can make this determination.

I recommend the owners corporation contact NSW Fair Trading as they may be able to assist with any asbestos testing. It is known that strata premises built before 1980 may contain loose-fill asbestos insulation. If there is concern that the property contains loosefill asbestos insulation, the scheme should arrange for a licensed asbestos assessor to conduct a sample test at their own expense. The scheme as a whole will be impacted should testing confirm the presence of loosefill asbestos insulation.

Should the test confirm the presence of loosefill asbestos insulation, Service NSW should be contacted immediately to find out about the options available.

I would suggest that they be contacted first. Given the concerns, Fair Trading may be able to undertake testing.

In some cases the presence of asbestos may be deemed low risk and should not be tampered with, however, only a qualified asbestos consultant can make this determination.

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READ MORE HERE
WINDOW & DOOR REPAIRS & MAINTENANCE WINDOW SAFETY COMPLIANCE SMALL SCALE WINDOW & DOOR REPLACEMENTS 02 97857893 service@asqb.com.au asqb.com.au Proudly servicing the NSW strata industry since 2013. Experienced. Professional. Reliable.

Generally, what strata records are managed well?

In NSW owners corporations, what strata records are managed better than others? eg financials, meeting minutes, compliance certificates?

would be great to have more commentary in the minutes about the decision-making process. Sometimes we see a separate document that gives you some understanding and that’s good, but a bit more detail would be great.

While the minutes are generally up to date, what is in the minutes could be better.

While the minutes are generally up to date, what is in the minutes could be better. In many cases, the minutes lack sufficient detail Where there are issues in the building, it

Missing records is a problem. This is frustrating. I know it’s frustrating for strata managers, too. We sometimes have situations where EYEON has better records than the strata manager. Sometimes we inspect the same building regularly. We may have inspected that building half a dozen times over the last four years. We’ve got records from four years ago that the strata manager can no longer access. That’s really not good enough.

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This point is often on the owners more than the strata manager, but sometimes the owners corporation is not up to date with their forecasting for capital expenditure in the building. That’s an area that a lot of buildings could be better at. They’re supposed to get an update at least every five years, but we regularly see capital works forecasts that are 10 years old. In the minutes, we can see they’ve talked about it every year, but nothing happened. This is an area a lot of buildings could be better at. Maybe according to the last forecast, they were supposed to repaint the building, but it hasn’t happened. The building starts to look a little tired and things start to snowball.

READ MORE HERE

The Conversion of Strata Air or Roof Space

THE CONVERSION OF AIR SPACE OR ROOF SPACE IN APARTMENT BUILDINGS IS AN INNOVATIVE WAY OF CONVERTING UNUSED SPACE INTO SALEABLE ASSETS.

There are two main factors that current and future Owners Corporations (OC’s) must consider – the age of buildings in some parts of Sydney exceeding 100 years and the cost of maintaining and repairing these old buildings.

Increased insurance premiums are also putting pressure on OC’s. The 2019/2020 bushfires alone was $1.9 billion and the 2021 & 2022 floods are estimated at $1.4 billionsending premiums in some areas skyrocketing by more than 400%. Also, both the Reserve Bank of Australia and APRA, the insurance regulator, have flagged that climate change might put insurance coverage out of reach for many Australians.

OC’s must look at ways to make additional revenue to offset these rising costs of maintenance and repairs, especially for older complexes. One way that OC’s can make money is by selling off air or roof space.

OC’s can take the unused roof space in an existing strata complex and use it to build additional apartments or extensions of existing Lots into attics within the complex. Strata owners can either group together to take on the project themselves or sell the air space to investors, generating up to millions of dollars in additional income.

There are two main options for OC’s to proceed with the sale of air or roof space within the complex;

Option 1: Strata Subdivision

Option 2: Exclusive Use – Common Property Exclusive By-Law

The Strata Subdivision is a lengthy and costly exercise of converting air or roof space into a lot for the possibility of a sale and revenue for an OC. Whereas, Exclusive Use By-Law is a far more efficient method and a less intrusive process.

However, there is a stigma with Exclusive Use By-Law of Common Property from a less legally secure perspective despite having real cost and time-saving considerations. Some Owner Occupiers or Investors don’t like buying a Unit/ Apartment with an Exclusive Use By-Law for their Roof Conversion Space once built. They prefer the Strata Subdivision of Common Property option because it’s far more tangible and far more legally secure and banks will lend on this option as opposed to option 2.

Give us a call for a free chat and we can provide a real-time hypothetical feasibility study on how a real case may eventuate on your complex.

www.lookupstrata.com.au 26
CONTACT US P: 1800 679 787 W: www.assetstratavaluers.com.au E: workorders@assetstratavaluers.com.au
James, Martyn, Bryan and Sam from the Asset Strata Valuers team are qualified and ready to help!
27 We Specialise In Insurance Valuations Capital Works Fund Reports Work Health + Safety Property Reports Common Property Valuations Exclusive By-Law Valuations Expert Witness Valuations Compulsory Acquisition Valuations Units of Entitlement Valuations Easement Valuations Asbestos Reports Providing strata valuation reports of exceptional standards. LEADERS IN STRATA PROPERTY VALUATIONS Areas of Service NSW, QLD, ACT and VIC CONTACT US 1800 679 787 www.assetstratavaluers.com.au workorders@assetstratavaluers.com.au Why Choose Us Reputable Industy Leaders Wealth of specialist knowledge Comprehensive, timely and affordable strata valuation reports Transparent and detailed reports All properties physically inspected

When dealing with nuisance, how important is record keeping

How important were detailed records in the success of a recent tribunal hearing? How much effort was it to keep the records?

During Brenton Pittman’s tribunal hearing to stop smoke drift from entering his apartment, the tribunal member described his record keeping as meticulous evidence and compelling. How much effort was it to keep the records? How did Brenton know to keep such detailed records and how much weight does he feel it had on the outcome of the decision? Could this style of record keeping be used for any nuisance case?

For any nuisance case, detailed record keeping would assist in building the case and make it easier if the matter proceeds to a tribunal hearing.

My previous business dealings involved keeping records that may be used in court for my company. We thought we should be noting a date, a time, what was said, the direction of the wind..etc

www.lookupstrata.com.au 28

The direction of the wind was quite important because one of the excuses was the high level of wind in this area blows the smoke well away from the building quite quickly. We’re on the leeward, North side of the building and more than 60 per cent of the wind blows from the South. Our records showed it’s quite possible we would be the only people experiencing smoke drift.

Our records noted if one or both of us smelt cigarette smoke. We recorded the time of the day, what part of the unit we were in and any other activity that may have been happening eg if we could hear a dog barking or the scraping of chairs.

More importantly, we recorded what the smoke drift was doing to us. Was it distracting us, giving us a bad smell or taste in our mouth, or irritated eyes, sore throat, or lack of concentration?

Over 200 days of recording this, we had 800 events. We collated all of this information into

a spreadsheet for the court. Six or eight of the incidents were disputed. When you’ve got one per cent of the evidence disputed, you would imagine a tribunal member will consider the evidence pretty accurate.

Ultimately, I feel that although this evidence wasn’t constantly brought up in the matter, the tribunal member made two or three comments that it was probably the best record keeping he had seen for any of his cigarette smoke cases. I believe it was highly important to the final outcome.

For any nuisance case, detailed record keeping would assist in building the case and make it easier if the matter proceeds to a tribunal hearing..

READ MORE HERE
Brenton Pittman Applicant in the Pittman v Newport [2022] NSWCATCD 173 case

What if the breaching owner pays the NCAT fine but continues to breach (flooring)?

The owners upstairs have been served a breach and fined at NCAT for noisy flooring. They are happy to pay the fines and not fix the flooring. What can we do?

The lot owners in the apartment above my unit installed a noisy floating floor. Mediation was unsuccessful and NCAT ordered the floor be replaced with carpet. The owners took no action. They were fined. The owners paid the fine but they took no other action to replace the flooring. They were then taken back to NCAT and fined again. Once again they paid the fine but have not replaced the flooring. The owners feel it’s easier to pay the fines rather than replaced the noisy floating floor. As the downstairs owner, what action can I take?

Is it up to the committee to get legal advice and pursue the breach or is it up to us as the affected lot owners?

Get legal advice on whether you can now apply for new different orders along the lines of getting an order to have the works carried out on behalf of the offending lot owner at their expense.

You will get owners that feel it’s easier to pay the fine. This is more of a legal question so I suggest you get legal advice. I would get legal advice on whether you can now apply for new different orders along the lines of getting an order to have the works carried out on behalf of the offending lot owner at their expense. Some implications of the order would be access to the lot. That would have to form part of the advice.

So option one is to look at getting orders to have the works completed. Also, look at another jurisdiction, perhaps going outside of NCAT and maybe going to another jurisdiction and seeing whether or not they have more weight and force.

In my view, I would think the owners corporation has that obligation because the breach of the bylaw is noise and the owners corporation have an obligation to enforce compliance with the bylaws. It wouldn’t harm if the affected lot owner is a joint applicant. The application may have more force and weight.

www.lookupstrata.com.au 30
READ MORE HERE

Accessing your strata plan

Where can I get a copy of my strata plan?

Speak to your strata manager

The first thing to do is speak to your strata manager. They will be able to email you a copy of your strata plan straightaway.

There are certain facilities out there where you can download strata plans. We use an agency to download them. I’m sure some of the larger companies have direct logins. But speak to your strata manager and they should be able to get you a copy. They’re very inexpensive to download. They’re usually $15 to $30 to download.

READ MORE HERE

www.lookupstrata.com.au 32

The Strata Collective. Where People Matter.

The Strata Collective was formed with a simple goal –to provide a professional strata management service to clients who want a close, personal relationship with their Strata Manager.

We are a next generation Strata Management business that you can count on.

Find out more about our award-winning services at thestratacollective.com.au

Higher returns on the capital works fund

Can we instruct our managing agent to transfer all or part of our capital works fund to a term deposit where it will remain on call but generate much higher interest?

Our owners corporation chooses to accumulate assets in our capital works fund (CWF) to cover unexpected eventualities and fund major works without always approaching owners for special levies. We currently have a significant amount put away in a separate savings account administered by our managing agents. It earns minimal interest.

Can we instruct our managing agent to transfer all or part of our CWF reserves to a term deposit at the bank, where it will remain on call but generate much higher interest?

For Australian lot owners and residents, the benefits of better returns and bank diversification are hard to ignore.

As a committee member, you are responsible for decisions about the owners corporation’s assets. Due to this, where the future capital resides, the expected returns and any risks involved need to be well considered. It is prudent to obtain options for review before deciding.

Most managing agents will have a ‘backbone’ financial institution offering streamlined payment systems that help to ease the administrative burden of managing your owners corporation (OC). As a result, it often means that your capital works fund resides with the same bank.

As the ultimate owners of the capital, you have the right to direct this capital to a higheryielding environment or another institution if you wish. Some states have ‘prescribed lists’ of financial institutions for strata-related funds (NSW primarily), which can narrow the options of better-returning products like term deposits.

A further consideration is that the strata management software used by the management company may often limit your options, as they are often aligned or configured to use only a few, or usually just one, financial institution. This issue is more of a ‘manager’ problem than an OC one. Depending on the terms involved (i.e. 12 months or more), good communication between the financial institutions and the manager can overcome this.

In our experience, several reputable financial institutions are more than willing to help out owners, corporations and body corporates. For Australian lot owners and residents, the benefits of better returns and bank diversification are hard to ignore.

READ MORE HERE www.lookupstrata.com.au 34

Defibrillation made easy for everyone

Sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) kills around 30,000 Australian adults and children every year with about 70% of all cardiac deaths occurring in the home. CPR and defibrillation with an AED are essential for a of survival. SCA survival decreases by 10% every minute without defibrillation.

30,000

Will suffer an out of hospital cardiac arrest every year

90% Increase in survival rate if defibrillation occurs within 1 minute of collapsing

LESS THAN 10% Will survive without bystander CPR & early defibrillation

INCREASE SURVIVAL WITH A MONITORED PUBLIC ACCESS AED SOLUTION

• Ensures your AED is secure and ready to use

• Simplest and fastest way to alert an emergency

• SMS / Email EMERGENCY alerts in real-time

• AED high temperature and failed self-test alerts

• Remote monitoring and programming

• Independently powered

THE MINDRAY BENEHEART DEFIBRILLATOR

• Available in semi or fully automatic

• Suitable for adults & children

• Pre-connected - adult/child electrode pads

• 7” TFT Colour LED Screen (C2 model) - step by step clear voice and visual instructions

• Intuitive Design - Open the lid to power on

• Guidance adapts to proficiency of rescuer

• QShock - Faster & smarter - 1st shock in 8 secs

• Up to 360 Joules energy with auto compensation

• Reliable & Durable IP55 / 1.5m drop test

• Long life Pads / Battery – Up to 5 years lifecycle

• 8 Year Limited Warranty

CONTACT AUSTRALIAN DEFIBRILLATORS

P: 1300 333 427 | 1300 DEFIBS

E: info@aeds.com.au

W: www.aeds.com.au

BeneHeart C1A & C2

Our balcony is leaking into the garage. A building report confirms the waterproofing membrane on the balcony is comprised. We have been quoted approx $8k to fix everything, including the waterproofing membrane. To save on costs, the owners corporation is considering putting in larger drainage pipes and sealing the perimeter of the balcony.

If the owners corporation is aware the waterproofing membrane is comprised, is it their obligation to have the membrane fixed even if a special levy is required?

The owners corporation has a responsibility to repair and maintain common property. Where the owners corporation are aware of a defective or failed building element, they are expected to undertake repairs/ upgrade in a timely manner.

Under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 Division 2, 9 (3) (c), the owners corporation has a responsibility to repair and maintain common property. The expectation is that where the owners corporation are aware of a defective or failed building element, they will undertake repairs/upgrade in a timely manner. Action will also be determined by the severity of the defect and the impact on other building elements and/or residents.

In this example, without knowing the specifics of the site and assuming the identified failed membrane and water ingress is not causing other building elements to deteriorate and fail, in the immediate future we recommend the owners corporation take the following steps in line with the requirements under the Residential Apartment Buildings Act 2020 and Design & Building Practitioners Act 2020 (DBP Act) and best practice:

www.lookupstrata.com.au 36
Obligation to fix, rather than repair, a serious defect
If the owners corporation is aware the waterproofing membrane is comprised, is it their obligation to have the membrane fixed even if a special levy is required?

1. Engage the services of a suitably qualified, experienced and Class 2 Registered Design Practitioner to inspect the defects and provide a detailed report and remedial scope of works

2. Engage the services of a suitably qualified, experienced, and independent Client-side Project Manager to coordinate competitive tender pricing from Class 2 Registered Building Practitioners for the remedial building works.

3. Review the detailed Tender Assessment and Contractor Recommendation, and with the assistance of the Project Manager, undertake cost planning to determine how the project will be funded (existing funds, special levies, strata loan).

4. Determine a suitable target date to undertake the works and execute cost planning.

Given it is noted the owners corporation are already aware the waterproofing membrane has failed, the proposed solutions in the example, such as “installation of larger

drainage pipes and sealing the perimeter” will not be an effective solution to rectify the defects permanently. When considered in isolation, these actions are not in line with the requirements for rectification of waterproofing systems in accordance with compliant regulated design under the DBP Act.

The owners corporation are required to engage the relevant expert consultant designer to develop a scope for remediation. These designs must be in accordance with the requirements of the DBP Act. The cost of remediation works are not considered relevant under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 Division 2, 9 (3) (c), and the requirements to complete works in accordance with the DBP Act are mandatory, unless the work falls within the very strict definition of exempt works, which external and common property waterproofing is not.

@firstfacilitymanagement @firstfacilitymanagementptyltd Building Management – Specialists in defect mitigation and rectification Putting You First E: admin@firstfm.net.au Greater Sydney and Central Coast M: 0407 842 030 Cleaning – Residential and Commercial Bin Management – Deep Cleaning and Sanitisation of bins Maintenance www.firstfm.net.au
READ MORE HERE
m.hopwood@valenprojects.com.au

Strata Community Association (SCA NSW) is the peak professional industry body and consumer advocate for Strata and Community Title Management in New South Wales. Membership includes strata managers, support sta , and strata service providers to the industry. SCA (NSW) has in excess of 3,000 members who help oversee, advise or manage over 750,000 lots in NSW. SCA (NSW) champions consumer rights and advocates for the highest industry standards and professionalism.

JOIN SCA ( NSW ) TODAY

www.lookupstrata.com.au 38
WE ARE The peak industry body for Strata and Community Title Management in NSW. WHAT WE DO We are a professional association and consumer advocate for strata managers, strata owners and suppliers to the sector. WHY IT MATTERS We raise strata industry standards and provide members with professional recognition and a competitive advantage. BECOMING A MEMBER IS EASY.... To access exclusive benefits such as 9 Enhanced credibility and recognition of being an accredited professional member 9 Continuing Professional Development 9 Strata specific education courses 9 Industry awards recognition 9 Networking events 9 Access to resources, best practice guides and templates
WHO

WHAT’S THE LATEST ON BUILDING DEFECTS?

In Australia, issues associated with building defects commonly arise because buildings are not constructed per the National Construction Code and Australian Standards.

NSW Fair Trading defines major defects as a defect in a major building element due to defective design, workmanship or materials, or failure to comply with the National Construction Code structural performance requirements.

In 2021, the Centre for International Economics (CIE) prepared a report for the Australian Building Codes Board detailing the predicted cost and benefits of implementing all the Building Confidence Report (BCR) recommendations. Below is a summary of all the key findings.

SIze of the Problem

According to the CIE report, the cost of building defects is approximately $2.475 billion annually. This equates to $714 million for Class 1 buildings (detached homes and townhouses), $1.290 billion for Class 2 buildings (multi-storey apartment complexes) and $470 million for Class 3-9 buildings (commercial and public buildings).

New Detached Homes

New detached homes were estimated to have 95 defects caused by the initial build per 100 homes. For Class 1a townhouses and Class 2

apartments, the defects increase to 103 and 162 defects per 100 homes respectively.

Apartment Complexes

Apartment defects cost more, with the cost of rectifying Class 2 apartment complexes being $9,349 per defect for each dwelling. This decreases to $3,440 and $2,842 per defect for each dwelling in detached homes and townhouses.

Owners Corporations Usually Pay

In a strata se ing, owners corporations (OC) are usually burdened with the cost of defect rectification.

According to a 2009 UNSW strata owners survey, the CIE estimates that in 43 per cent of cases, OCs and their insurers pay the cost of rectifying defects. In comparison, only 30 per cent of cases had the defect cost covered by builders, developers or home warranty insurers. In another 24 per cent of cases, OCs took the builder or developer to court to resolve the dispute.

Building defects and rectification costs remain a significant issue for OCs. The NSW Government and SCA (NSW) continue to work together on critical building reforms such as Project Intervene to address the issue of serious defects in residential buildings.

39
nsw.strata.community (02)9492 8200 membership.nsw@strata.community

Project Intervene’s registration deadline is approaching… fast!

Resolving building defects with the help of Project Intervene

Project Intervene is a NSW governmentdriven program that works to resolve serious defects in the common property of occupied buildings under statutory warranty (typically, up to 6 years old). One of the major benefits of Project Intervene is there is no cost to the owners corporation. The developer pays for the remediation works and all associated costs. Registration for the project closes 30 June 2023! Now is the time to register.

The detailed presentation explains how the project works, who can apply and what the process looks like, as well as:

• What defects are addressed by Project Intervene

• What you can expect from Project Intervene

• The benefits of participating in Project Intervene

• Why it’s important to register now (before the 30 June 2023 deadline), even if you are not sure if you meet all of the requirements

Download the slides from this webinar presentation here: Project Intervene

www.lookupstrata.com.au 40

High five, Sydney! We’ve recycled

1,000 tonnes of food scraps

Recycling food scraps does more than just lighten our rubbish bins.

Residents in the City of Sydney council area have:

• generated 64,447 kWh of energy. Enough energy to power 11 average households in our area for a year.

• created almost 8 tonnes of fertiliser and 420 tonnes of compost to nourish soil in gardens and parks.

• avoided the equivalent of 1,735 t of CO2. That’s the same as taking 416 cars permanently off the road.

“I’ve also been using it for my coffee grounds. I’m really happy about that because they were going in the bin or down the drain.”

“The more neighbours get involved and the more ownership they take ... the more everyone feels at home.”

If you are in the City of Sydney council area, register your interest for your apartment building to start recycling food scraps.

Maggie – Food scraps champion Fiona – Food scraps champion

EDUCATION & TRAINING

LookUpStrata

Australia’s Strata Title Information Site

W: https://www.lookupstrata.com.au/

E: administration@lookupstrata.com.au

Strata Community Association

P: 02 9492 8200

W: https://www.strata.community/

E: admin@strata.community

Owners Corporation Network

The Independent Voice of Strata Owners

W: https://ocn.org.au/

E: enquiries@ocn.org.au

Your Strata Property

Demystifying the legal complexities of apartment living

W: https://www.yourstrataproperty.com.au/

E: amanda@yourstrataproperty.com.au

FACILITY MANAGEMENT

LUNA

Building and Facilities Manager

P: 1800 00 LUNA (5862)

W: https://www.luna.management/

E: info@luna.management

First Facility Management Pty Ltd

Putting You First

P: 0402 083 404

W: https://firstfm.net.au/

E: admin@firstfm.net.au

RFM Facility Management Pty Ltd

Strata and Specialist Cleaners

P: 1300 402 524

W: https://www.rfmfacilitymanagement.com.au/

E: nathan@rfmfacilitymanagement.com.au

Elite Building Managers Australia

Education for Building Managers

P: 0420 520 976

W: https://www.elitebma.com/

E: matt@elitebma.com

Mimor

Connecting People – Creating Communities

P: 1300 064 667

W: https://www.mimor.com.au/

E: info@mimor.com.au

Stratabox

Building Confidence

P: 1300 651 506

W: https://stratabox.com.au/

E: contact@stratabox.com.au

Urbanise

Automate your workload to increase efficiency.

P: 1300 832 852

W: https://www.urbanise.com/

E: marketing@urbanise.com

Resvu

Customer Service Software for Strata

P: 08 7477 8991

W: https://resvu.io/

E: enquiries@resvu.com.au

StrataMax

Streamlining strata

P: 1800 656 368

W: https://www.stratamax.com/

E: info@stratamax.com

MYBOS

Building Management - Residential & FM Schemes

P: 1300 912 386

W: https://www.mybos.com.au/

E: sam@mybos.com.au

StrataVault

Connecting people, processes, and applications

P: 1300 082 858

W: https://globalvaults.com.au/

E: team@thestratavault.com

Asset Strata Valuers

Leaders in Strata Property Valuations

P: 1800 679 787

VALUERS MARKETING

W: https://assetstratavaluers.com.au/

E: workorders@assetstratavaluers.com.au

Ki Creative Design

Purposeful Design Solutions

P: 0451 541 006

E: kiara.mcilroy@gmail.com

LIST MY BUSINESS PRINT YOUR DIRECTORY HERE
SOFTWARE

BUILDING ENGINEERS & INSPECTORS

Sedgwick

Building Consultancy Division & Repair Solutions

W: https://www.sedgwick.com/solutions/global/au

E: sales@au.sedgwick.com

QIA Group

Comapliance Made Easy

P: 1300 309 201

W: https://www.qiagroup.com.au/

E: info@qiagroup.com.au

BIV Reports

Specialist in Strata Compliance Reports

P: 1300 107 280

W: https://www.biv.com.au/

E: biv@biv.com.au

GQS

Quantity Surveyors & Building Consultants

P: 1300 290 235

W: https://gqs.com.au/

E: info@gqs.com.au

Seymour Consultants

Body Corporate Report Specialists

W: https://www.seymourconsultants.com.au/

E: info@seymourconsultants.com.au

Roscon

Property services & facilities management

P: 1800 767 266

W: https://www.roscon.com.au/

E: info@roscon.com

Budget Vals

Built For Strata

P: 1300 148 150

W: https://www.budgetvals.com.au/

E: reports@budgetvals.com.au

Leary & Partners

Quantity surveying services since 1977

P: 1800 808 991

W: https://www.leary.com.au/

E: enquiries@leary.com.au

Mabi Services

Asbestos, Safety & Building Consultants

P: 1300 762 295

W: https://www.mabi.com.au/

E: info@mabi.com.au

Forte Asset Services

FIRE | ELECTRICAL | HVAC

P: 1300 920 752

W: https://www.forteassetservices.com.au/

E: info@forteas.com.au

Quality Building Management

keeping your buildings legally compliant and safe

P: 1300 880 466

W: https://qbm.com.au/

E: inspections@qbm.com.au

HFM Asset Management Pty Ltd

Leaders in Building Efficiency

P: 0407 734 260

W: https://www.hfmassets.com.au/

E: david.chokolich@hfmassets.com.au

CORE Consulting Engineers

Delivering 360° engineering solutions for strata

P: 02 8961 3250

W: https://coreconsultingengineers.com.au/

E: admin@core.engineering

Auric Projects

Managing clients

P: 02 9918 2200

W: https://auricprojects.com.au/

E: info@auricprojects.com.au

Independent Inspections

Sinking Fund Forecast, Insurance Valuations, OHS

P: 1300 857 149

W: http://www.iigi.com.au/

E: admin@iigi.com.au

Solutions in Engineering

Quality Reports On Time, Every Time!

P: 1300 136 036

W: https://www.solutionsinengineering.com/

E: enquiry@solutionsinengineering.com

Landlay Consulting Group

A Strata Remedial Consultancy

P: 02 8095 8556

W: https://www.landlay.com.au/

E: admin@landlay.com.au

LIST MY BUSINESS PRINT YOUR DIRECTORY HERE

STRATA REPORTS

EYEON Property Inspections

Buy and Sell with More Confidence

P: 1300 798 274

W: https://www.eyeon.com.au/

E: info@eyeon.com.au

Rawlinsons

Calculated Confidence

P: 08 9424 5800

W: https://www.rawlinsonswa.com.au/

E: info@rawlinsonswa.com.au

Covid19 Plans

Covid19 Safety Plans for Strata

P: 1300 828 344

W: https://covid19plans.com.au/

E: plans@covidplans.com.au

Strataregister.com Pty Ltd

Find the Strata / CT Manager for your property

P: 0411 483 249

W: https://www.strataregister.com/

E: hello@strataregister.com

STRATA LAWYERS

Kerin Benson Lawyers Pty Ltd

Specialised Legal Advice for Strata

P: 02 8706 7060

W: https://kerinbensonlawyers.com.au/

E: enquiries@kerinbensonlawyers.com.au

Madison Marcus Law Firm

Be Empowered

P: 131 529

W: https://www.madisonmarcus.com.au/

E: strata@madisonmarcus.com.au

Holman Webb Lawyers

Body Corporate Disputes & Litigation Specialists

P: 07 3235 0100

W: https://www.holmanwebb.com.au/

E: shane.roberts@holmanwebb.com.au

RC & CO Lawyers

Effective, resource, clear.

P: 1300 072 626

W: https://www.rccolawyers.com/

E: assistant@rccolawyers.com

Bugden Allen Graham Lawyers

Australia’s leading strata law experts

P: 02 9199 1055

W: https://bagl.com.au/

E: info@bagl.com.au

JS Mueller & Co Lawyers

Specialist ‘Plain English’ NSW Strata Lawyers

W: https://www.muellers.com.au/

E: enquiries@muellers.com.au

Khoury Lawyers Pty Ltd

Client focused, Results Driven

P: 0415 459 486

W: https://khourylawyers.com.au/

E: pierrette@khourylawyers.com.au

Williamson Lawyers

A construction and strata lawyer ready to listen

W: https://www.williamsonlawyers.com.au/

E: shane@williamsonlawyers.com.au

Douglas Cheveralls Lawyers

The Go-To Strata Lawyers

P: 08 9380 9288

W: https://www.dclawyers.com.au/

E: office@dclawyers.com.au

Bannermans Lawyers

High Quality Specialist Legal Services

P: 02 9929 0226

W: https://www.bannermans.com.au/

E: enquiries@bannermans.com.au

Grace Lawyers

Know. Act. Resolve.

W: https://gracelawyers.com.au/

E: enquiries@gracelawyers.com.au

Speirs Ryan

P: 02 9248 3400

W: https://www.speirsryan.com.au/

E: ssaw@speirsryan.com.au

Watson & Watson Lawyers

“when experience matters”…..

P: 02 9221 6011

W: https://www.watsonandwatson.com.au/

E: richard@watsonandwatson.com.au

LIST MY BUSINESS PRINT YOUR DIRECTORY HERE

STRATA MANAGEMENT

Premium Strata

Diamond-Class strata management agency

P: 02 9281 6440

W: https://www.premiumstrata.com.au/

E: info@premiumstrata.com.au

The Strata Collective

A next generation strata manager. People matter.

P: 02 9879 3547

W: https://www.thestratacollective.com.au/

E: rsmith@thestratacollective.com.au

Bridge Strata P/L

The bridge between you and your corporation

P: 02 6109 7700

W: https://bridgestrata.com.au/wp/

E: jan@bridgestrata.com.au

Bright & Duggan

Strata Professionals

P: 02 9902 7100

W: https://bright-duggan.com.au/

E: customercare@bright-duggan.com.au

Civium Communities

When you build trust, you build a community

P: 1300 724 256

W: https://civium.com.au/

E: clientservices@civium.com.au

Vital Strata

Strata Made Simple

P: 02 9008 1112

W: https://www.vitalstrata.com.au/

E: hello@vitalstrata.com.au

Sky Living Strata

Providing a superior customer experience

P: 02 9299 1100

W: https://www.skylivingstrata.com.au/

E: enquiries@skylivingstrata.com.au

Townhouse Strata PTY Ltd

Strata Management with a Difference

P: 02 4971 0363

W: https://www.townhousestrata.com.au/

E: alan@townhousestrata.com.au

Strata Central

Boutique Strata Management Services

W: https://stratacentral.com.au/

E: enquiries@stratacentral.com.au

Acumen Strata

Tailored Strata Management Solutions

P: 02 7253 5820

W: https://www.acumenstrata.com.au/

E: info@acumenstrata.com.au

Quantum United Management

Creating vibrant and connected communities

P: 61 383 608 800

W: https://www.quantumunited.com.au/

E: info@quantumunited.com.au

INSURANCE

Strata Insurance Solutions

Protecting owner assets is who we are

P: 1300 554 165

W: https://www.stratainsurancesolutions.com.au/

E: info@stratainsurancesolutions.com.au

Whitbread Insurance Brokers

Empower Your Vision

P: 1300 424 627

W: https://www.whitbread.com.au/

E: info@whitbread.com.au

CHU Underwriting Agencies Pty Ltd

Specialist Strata Insurance Underwriting Agency

W: https://www.chu.com.au/

E: info@chu.com.au

Strata Community Insurance

Protection for your strata property. And you.

P: 1300 724 678

W: https://www.stratacommunityinsure.com.au

E: myenquiry@scinsure.com.au

Flex Insurance

Your Cover Your Choice

P: 1300 201 021

W: https://www.flexinsurance.com.au/

E: info@flexinsurance.com.au

Driscoll Strata Consulting

Knowledge | Experience | Service

P: 0402 342 034

W: https://driscollstrataconsulting.com.au/

E: enquiries@driscollstrataconsulting.com.au

LIST MY BUSINESS PRINT YOUR DIRECTORY HERE

DEFECT RESTORATION

MJ Engineering Projects

Remedial Consultant Engineers

P: 1300 571 991

W: https://mjengineeringprojects.com.au/

E: info@mjengineeringprojects.com.au

Klaar

The Strata Building Specialists

P: 02 8003 4547

W: https://klaar.com.au/

E: build@klaar.com.au

ELECTRICAL

Altogether Group

Power.Water.Data

P: 1300 803 803

W: https://altogethergroup.com.au/home-business/

E: eaustin@altogethergroup.com.au

ENM Solutions

Providing Solutions for Embedded Networks

P: 1300 000 366

W: https://www.enmsolutions.com.au/

E: info@ENMSolutions.com.au

Energy On Pty Ltd

P: 1300 323 263

W: https://www.energyon.com.au/

E: EnergyServices@EnergyOn.com.au

McIntosh Electrical Pty Ltd

Powered by Trust

P: 1300 627 727

W: https://www.mcintoshelectrical.com.au/

E: jenny@mcintoshelectrical.com.au

EMERLITE ELECTRICAL SERVICES

We Answer The Phone - No Job Too Big Or Small

P: 07 5591 9191

W: https://www.emerlite.com.au/

E: office@emerlite.com.au

INVESTMENT SERVICES

Strata Guardian

Fight low returns and rising levies with us.

P: 1300 482 736

W: https://www.strataguardian.com/

E: contact@strataguardian.com

LIST MY BUSINESS

FIRE SERVICES

Linkfire Pty Ltd

Your Essential Safety Partner

P: 1300 669 439

W: http://www.linkfire.com.au/

E: sales@linkfire.com.au

Chief AFSS Services

YOUR AFSS COMPLIANCE IS OUR PRIORITY

P: 0405 932 458

W: https://afssfirechief.com.au/

E: melanie@chiefmechanicalservices.com

2020 Fire Protection

Experts in Fire Protection for Strata

P: 1300 340 210

W: https://www.2020fireprotection.com.au/

E: service@2020fire.com.au

Fire Safety Constructions

Compliant Specialist since 1999

P: 02 9945 3499

W: http://www.firesafetyconstruction.com.au/

E: info@firesafetyconstructions.com.au

Betta Fire Protection

Compliance you can trust

P: 02 8669 9108

W: https://bettafireprotection.com.au/

E: info@bettafireprotection.com.au

Higgins Coatings Pty Ltd

Specialist painters in the strata industry

W: https://www.higgins.com.au/

E: info@higgins.com.au

Dulux Property Services

Total Building Maintenance & Remedial Solutions

P: 0411 152 430

W: https://www.duluxconstructionsolutions.com.au/

E: propertyservice@dulux.com.au

3 Colours Painting Services

3 Colours Painting Services

P: 1300 883 635

W: https://3colours.com.au/

E: 3colours@3colours.com.au

Terra Australis Painting Services

Terra Australis Painting Services

P: 0497 545 289

W: https://www.terraaustralispainting.com.au/

E: info@terraaustralispainting.com.au

PAINTING PRINT YOUR DIRECTORY HERE

PLUMBING WINDOWS & DOORS

Sydney Central Pumps

Fixing Pump Problems for 20+ years

P: 1300 558 059

W: https://www.scpumps.com.au/

E: service@scpumps.com.au

Stormwater Sydney

Inspection, Repair and Maintenance of drainage assets

P: 1300 741 003

W: https://stormwatersydney.com/

E: admin@stormwatersydney.com

HYDRAULICA Pty Ltd

Specialise in Drain & Pipe Cleaning

W: https://www.hydraulica.com.au/

E: darren@hydraulica.com.au

Mr Washer, Plumber To The Rescue

Over 30 years serving Sydney Strata buildings

P: 02 8583 2360

W: plumbertotherescue.com.au/strata-commercial.html

E: jobs@mrwasher.com.au

Fair Water Meters

Retrofit sub-metering specialists

P: 1300 324 701

W: https://fairwatermeters.com.au/

E: info@fairwatermeters.com.au

WATERPROOFING

Superseal Protective Coatings (SPC)

Waterproofing & Epoxy Specialists

P: 02 9774 1004

W: https://www.spcau.com/

E: info@spcau.com

Danrae Group

Remedial Waterproofing & Building Specialists

P: 1800 326 723

W: https://www.danraegroup.com.au/

E: enquiries@danrae.com.au

FRANCHISERS

Network Pacific Strata Franchise

Join our successful team

P: 03 9999 5488

W: www.networkpacificstratafranchise.com.au/

E: networkpacific@franchisedevelopments.com.au

Windowline Pty Ltd

Replacement window and door specialists

P: 02 8304 6400

W: https://windowline.com.au/

E: info@windowline.com.au

ASQB Pty Ltd

Window & Door Repairs + Window Safety Compliance

P: 02 9785 7893

W: https://www.asqb.com.au/

E: service@asqb.com.au

The Window Guy

Don’t choose any guy, choose The Window Guy!

W: https://www.thewindowguy.com.au/

E: info@thewindowguy.com.au

Select Window Installations

Windows & door replacement specialists

P: 02 9938 1500

W: https://www.selectwindows.com.au/

E: sales@selectwindows.com.au

SUSTAINABILITY

Humenergy

People, innovation and value sharing

P: 1300 322 622

W: https://www.humenergy.com.au/

E: Info@humenergy.com.au

The Green Guys Group

Australia’s Leading Energy Saving Partner

W: https://greenguys.com.au/

E: sean@greenguys.com.au

ENERGY

Arena Energy Consulting Pty Ltd

Independent Embedded Network Consulting Services

P: 0452 411 247

W: https://www.arenaenergyconsulting.com.au/

E: joseph@arenaenergyconsulting.com.au

Strata Energy Services

Simplifying Energy For Strata

P: 1300 060 111

W: http://www.strataenergyservices.com.au/

E: info@strataenergyservices.com.au

LIST MY BUSINESS
PRINT YOUR DIRECTORY HERE

Valen Project Services

Client-Side Project Management Specialists

P: 02 8542 4293

W: https://valenprojects.com.au/

E: enquiries@valenprojects.com.au

PROJECT MANAGEMENT CONSULTING

Strata Solve

Untangling strata problems

P: 0419 805 898

W: https://stratasolve.com.au/

E: chris@stratasolve.com.au

Insight Resolutions

Reconcile and rebuild through mediation

P: 0413 334 633

W: https://insightresolutions.com.au/

E: vad.mediation@gmail.com

STRATA LOAN PROFESSIONALS

StrataLoans

The Experts in Strata Finance

P: 1300 785 045

W: https://www.strata-loans.com/

E: info@strata-loans.com

Lannock Strata Finance

The Leading Strata Finance Specialist

P: 1300 851 585

W: https://lannock.com.au/

E: strata@lannock.com.au

Austrata Finance

Pay Now or Pay Later: It’s Your Choice®

P: 1300 936 560

W: https://austratafinance.com.au/

E: info@austratafinance.com.au

LIFTS & ELEVATORS

Innovative Lift Consulting Pty Ltd

Australia’s Vertical Transportation Consultants

P: 0417 784 245

W: https://www.ilcpl.com.au/

E: bfulcher@ilcpl.com.au

The Lift Consultancy

Trusted Specialised Advice

P: 07 5509 0100

W: https://theliftc.com/

E: sidb@theliftc.com

RECRUITMENT SERVICES

sharonbennie – Property Recruitment

Matching top talent with incredible businesses

P: 0413 381 381

W: https://www.sharonbennie.com.au/

E: sb@sharonbennie.com.au

Property Recruitment Partners

Recruitment Solutions

P: 02 8313 5591

Tailored for You

E: aaron@propertyrecruitmentpartners.com.au

ACCOUNTANTS

Tinworth & Co

Chartered Accountant & Strata Auditors

P: 0499 025 069

W: https://www.tinworthaccountants.com.au/

E: caren.chen@tinworth.com

Matthew Faulkner Accountancy

Strata Auditing specialists

P: 0438 116 374

W: https://www.mattfaulkner.accountants/

E: matt@mattfaulkner.accountants

SAFETY & SECURITY

QUATRIX PTY LTD

Intercoms, Access Control, CCTV, Data, etc.

P: 02 9554 3487

W: https://www.quatrix.com.au/

E: info@quatrix.com.au

Lock, Stock & Barrel Locksmiths Pty Ltd

P: 0411 700 072

W: https://www.lsblocksmiths.com.au/

E: info@lsblocksmiths.com.au

CLEANING / CLEAN AIR

Actualised Industries

A breath of fresh air

P: 1300 728 760

W: https://www.actualisedindustries.com.au/

E: admin@actualisedindustries.com.au

Arrow Abseiling Pty Ltd

Window cleaning, repair and maintenance

P: 02 8957 3693

W: https://www.arrowabseiling.com.au/

E: contact@arrowabseiling.com.au

LIST MY BUSINESS
PRINT YOUR DIRECTORY HERE

Apt

Everything Roofing!

P: 02 9666 7373

W: https://www.aptroofing.com.au/

E: admin@aptroofing.com.au

Install

Professional TV Antenna Service For You Today

P: 1300 800 123

W: https://www.installmyantenna.com.au/

E: info@installmyantenna.com.au

Lifestyle

Clothesline and washing line supplier & installer

P: 1300 798 779

W: https://www.lifestyleclotheslines.com.au/

E: admin@lifestyleclotheslines.com.au

Groundfloor™

Australian parcel, mail, and refrigerated lockers

P: 03 9982 4462

W: https://groundfloordelivery.com/

E: ask@groundfloordelivery.com

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Contact administration@lookupstrata.com.au PRINT YOUR DIRECTORY HERE
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