COMMITTEES DON’T NEED MORE RESPONSIBILITY – THEY NEED BETTER SUPPORT

There’s a perspective worth pausing on.

Across Australia, there are far more strata committee members than elected officials. Thousands of volunteer owners are making decisions every day that directly affect how people live, what they pay, and how their communities function.

This isn’t trivia—it’s perspective.

These are not abstract policy debates. These are decisions about:

• What someone can do with their home.
• How much they contribute financially.
• How shared spaces are maintained and improved.
• How neighbours coexist in close quarters.

And unlike elected representatives, there is no buffer. Feedback doesn’t filter through departments or advisors. It arrives directly—in meetings, emails, and conversations at the front door.

Read on to learn about common misconceptions and the expectations vs reality placed on committees including how they can receive the support they need to contribute to their community in a meaningful way.

Volunteer Decision-Makers, Real Consequences

Strata committees carry responsibilities that at a local level, mirror many of the functions we associate with government:

• Financial management and budgeting.
• Regulation through by-laws.
• Infrastructure planning and maintenance.
• Dispute resolution within communities.

But the structure surrounding them is very different.

Committee members:

• Are volunteers.
• Often have no formal governance training.
• Receive limited onboarding.
• Are expected to interpret legislation and technical advice in real time.

They care deeply, which is both the strength of the system and at times, its biggest challenge. Because good intentions alone are not enough to navigate complex decisions with long-term consequences.

The Role of the Strata Manager: Trusted Advisor, Not Just Administrator

This is where the strata manager becomes essential.

There is still a persistent misconception that strata managers are primarily administrative. In reality, their role is advisory at its core.

A capable strata manager:

• Interprets legislation and ensures compliance.
• Translates complex reports into practical insights.
• Frames decisions with clear options and consequences.
• Identifies risks before they escalate.
• Supports governance processes and meeting outcomes.

Committees make the decisions, but the quality of those decisions is heavily influenced by the quality of the guidance they receive. Strata managers are not in control of outcomes, but they play a central role in shaping them through informed and consistent guidance.

The Expectation Gap: Professional Standards Without Professional Frameworks

Here’s where the conversation becomes more complex.

In New South Wales, strata managers operate within a defined licensing and regulatory framework. In Queensland, that same level of regulation does not exist, yet the expectations are effectively identical.

Strata managers are expected to:

• Navigate complex legislation.
• Provide financial and governance advice.
• Manage risk across entire communities.
• Operate with professionalism under constant scrutiny.

In other words, they are expected to perform at a level comparable to regulated professionals without the same formal recognition, safeguards and often with little respect when delivering unfavourable decisions on behalf of the body corporate.

Compared to Other Professionals—But Not Understood the Same Way

Consider how other professional services are perceived.

Lawyers, accountants, and engineers:

• Are recognised as specialists.
• Operate within structured regulatory frameworks.
• Provide advice that informs critical decisions.

Strata managers operate in a similar advisory capacity, often across all of these domains at once. They support decisions that impact entire communities, not just individuals. And yet the perception of their role, and the value attached to it does not always reflect that reality.

The Misconception Problem

One of the biggest challenges in strata is a fundamental misunderstanding of how the system works.

Common misconceptions include:

• That the strata manager “is” the body corporate.
• That levies paid by owners go directly to the manager.
• That the manager is responsible for all decisions within the scheme.

These assumptions are not just incorrect, they create unrealistic expectations. In reality:

• The body corporate is the collective of all owners.
• Levies fund maintenance, insurance, utilities, and long-term capital works.
• The manager is engaged to advise and administer—not to control decisions.

This gap in understanding often leads to frustration. Managers are expected to deliver outcomes they don’t control. Committees are expected to perform at a professional level without professional support structures. Owners expect results without always understanding the process behind them, and quickly to meet their often urgent needs.

Why Guidance Matters More Than Ever

If committee members are operating in roles comparable to local level elected officials, then the support they receive matters. Because unlike those officials, they do not have:

• Policy advisors.
• Legal teams on standby.
• Dedicated administrative staff.

They have a strata manager and that makes the quality of that guidance critical. Effective managers:

• Simplify complexity.
• Provide clear, consistent guidance.
• Help committees see not just options, but consequences.
• Build confidence in decision-making over time.

Success in this environment is not about controlling outcomes, it’s about influencing them through clarity, consistency, and trust over time.

A Partnership That Needs to Be Understood

Strata governance only works when roles are clear.

• Committees make decisions.
• Managers provide guidance and structure.
• Owners contribute through understanding and engagement.

This is not a hierarchy—it is a partnership.

When it works well:

• Decisions improve.
• Risks are reduced.
• Communities function more effectively.

When it doesn’t, the gap between expectation and reality becomes obvious very quickly.

The Bigger Picture

Strata is one of the most localised and immediate forms of governance in the country. It operates quietly, without the visibility of traditional government, but with direct impact on millions of people. Volunteer committees are at the centre of it and Strata managers support them. The system relies on both.

The Takeaway

Strata committees are not lacking responsibility, they are carrying significant responsibility already. What they need is support that reflects the level of decisions they are making. Strata managers provide that support, not as decision-makers or as simple administrators, but as trusted advisors offering the expertise, structure, and guidance needed to navigate complex, high-impact decisions.

The challenge is not just raising standards within the profession, it is also improving understanding of the profession itself. Because when committees are well-supported, and expectations are grounded in reality, better decisions follow, and stronger communities are the result.

Article Contributed by Grant Mifsud, Partner at Archers the Strata Professionals.