Tips and Traps of Engaging Contractors We have all experienced a contracted arrangement gone wrong – a painting contractor whose work starts bubbling just months after it is completed or a plumber who charges to repair a leaking pipe but does not fix the leak. Without a crystal ball, there is no way to completely…
Commissioners Corner – Financial Management Part 2 Let’s talk about money. Part 2 In Part One of this series, I talked about body corporate finances and, in particular, the responsibilities of lot owners to pay their levies. Equally, the body corporate and its committee has responsibilities for how they spend body corporate funds and in…
Saving on Strata Insurance Both the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management in Queensland, and the Insurance Council of Australia, provide excellent information about how to manage the costs of strata insurance. The Insurance Council of Australia has released: the strata owner’s fact sheet; and the strata owner’s check list. While they are more…
Cladding Regulation Deadline – 29 March 2019 There are less than 6 weeks to go for Strata property owners to comply with the first stage of the Queensland Government’s new combustible cladding regulations with the deadline being 29 March 2019. Safety concerns about cladding in apartment buildings have reignited following a fast-moving fire this month…
Annual General Meetings – Part Two Top Tips In my earlier article – part one – I covered some of the basic processes of an annual general meeting (AGM), including some of the key timeframes involved. With those details in mind, this article – part two – provides some AGM tips. You might like…
Northern Australian Insurance Inquiry – Interim Report On 18 December 2018, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) released its Northern Australia Insurance Inquiry first interim report. The report can be read here and media release here. Where to next for the inquiry? The ACCC inquiry will continue through 2019 and conclude at the end…
Commissioners Corner: Financial Management Part 1 Let’s talk about money. It’s a subject everyone has an opinion on, and this is also true about finances in the body corporate context. While the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (the Act) and its Regulation Modules are prescriptive about the process for collecting and then spending…
Solar on Strata In the final quarter of 2018, a huge milestone was reached when the 2 millionth rooftop in Australia installed solar panels. 21.6% of residential houses now have solar panels installed. However, residential strata continues to be ‘locked out’ of the solar revolution for a number of reasons. It is estimated that less…
Caretaker Bullying Decision Bullying in a workplace is unlawful in Australia. Even Caretakers who are contractors of a Body Corporate are protected from bullying by committee members. Read this article to find out more about the decision of the Deputy President of the Fair Work Commission. The recent decision in Application by Ms A [2018]…
Commissioners Corner: AGM Basics and Timeframes Not surprisingly, one of the most common inquiries received by the Office of the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management is about general meetings of a body corporate. The queries are often about the timeframes involved as well as some of the more basic processes. Given that a…