Your Strata Property With Amanda Farmer

30 June is looming and this means...new strata law! Mandatory annual reporting for NSW owners corporations is due to take effect soon. Here's your recap on precisely what this means for owners, committee members and strata managers.

In a first for the show, this week I have THREE guests: Peter Johnsson, Grahame Vile and Caroline McConnachie - each an expert in strata remedial works. We discuss: -why remedial works are so painful for apartment owners -the different fee structures used by contractors and consultants  -how to keep costs under control -how strata managers can best serve their clients during a remedial works project, and more.  PLUS keep an eye out for my invitation to Friday LIVE tomorrow, where I'll be chatting further with Caroline McConnachie about this important (and too often, very aggravating) aspect of apartment living. Send through your questions and Caroline and I will be ready to answer them.

I’m bringing you part of last week’s Friday LIVE chat, which has sparked a vital conversation about the impossible pressure being placed on some strata managers at the expense of their mental health and wellbeing. Owners are noticing, and not only are they unhappy with poor service standards, they’re worried about the future of this industry, which has only just started to call itself a "profession". It’s time for a serious talk about workloads, hours, fee structures and simple kindness.

My third and final guest in the “Strata Powerhouse” interview series is John Coleman. John grew Express Glass into the strata sector in the 1990s, helping it become Australia’s largest glazing business today. John describes the “unfettered access” suppliers had to strata managers back then, why he chose to write a book about the history of strata title in NSW and his hopes for a future female president of SCA.

The second in my series of three "Strata Powerhouse" interviews, today's guest is Olivera Ferguson. Co-owner of the Strata Plus Group, in this chat Olivera revisits her first impressions of strata management 20 years ago when she left the corporate world. We discuss how today's "right to an opinion" society is putting pressure on strata managers, why winning back trust is essential and her hopes for the future of our strata sector.

Over the next three weeks, I'm interviewing three "powerhouses" of the strata sector. First up this week: Bill Coles. He shares: - what the strata cleaning business looked like 30+ years ago - the many ways in which strata living has changed for the better (and the few ways it hasn't) - how he overcame the business challenges of the last 2 years - why his family name changed when his parents immigrated to Australia, and much more.

Warren Livesey of Buy Airspace explains the emerging opportunities for buildings to sell or develop the airspace above their common property rooftops, creating income to fund capital works and improvement projects in aging buildings.  

I'm sharing an edited down version of last week's Friday LIVE chat, where I took viewers through the new NSW government online information resource for strata owners, managers, tenants and purchasers. I also share some more background to the "bankrupt committee member" scenario, discussed last week.

This week: Reena asks whether strata management contracts can roll over, year to year, I query whether there should be a “fit and proper person” test for committee members, we celebrate the effectiveness of the democratic process and, I invite you to join my free webinar next Thursday, 7 April.

Louisa Herbert is the managing director of MBCM Strata Specialists in Box Hill and Hawthorn Victoria. We discuss the skills she developed as a parole officer and how well they translate to strata management, what it is that still surprises her about our sector and the efficient way that she's training her new staff.

Having recently helped a client avoid penalty proceedings in the Tribunal, this week I’m sharing some common mistakes I see managers and committees making when issuing a notice to comply with a by-law. I’m also giving our members the opportunity to access my next exclusive Pro Member Webinar where we’ll go deep on this important topic (heads up: it’s TOMORROW!)

Reena asks whether a lot owner has any say in the method by which an owners corporation chooses to repair its common property. We also discuss lot owner DAs for change of use and the importance of understanding the mandatory legal requirements for the issue of a Notice to Comply.

Amanda Bombaci of the Western Sydney Regional Organisation of Councils explains the unique difficulties apartment residents experience when dealing with rubbish and waste removal, including the importance of tackling the problem at the 'move in' stage. Listen carefully for the details of our free WEBINAR on precisely this topic, coming to you next week.

Stephen Brell, managing director of Netstrata and newly appointed president of SCA (NSW), shares his insights on the evolving strata management profession, including: his creative solution to the recruitment problem how to turn a crisis into an opportunity the urge for business owners to upskill why owner education is on SCA’s agenda in 2022, and more.

Today, I publish the 300th episode of the podcast. In celebration, I’ve invited long-time listeners and members of our online community to share their favourite episodes and key learnings from the giant knowledge library that is this podcast, built up over the past 6 years. On this special occasion, I’d like to thank YOU, my listeners, for tuning in, week after week. Your commitment to improving your experience of strata living is my constant motivation and your success stories born of the podcast, my inspiration. Keep 'em coming.

Reena deals with a frustrating misunderstanding of the role of a strata manager. I share my concerns about a by-law attempting to ban solar panels and we consider why a short-term letting by-law didn't quite make the cut.  

Caroline McConnachie fills us in on a new online course for remedial waterproofing, soon to be released by ACRA in partnership with Construct NSW. We discuss: how waterproofing is the no. 1 defect in apartment buildings the vital role of remedial engineers in even the smallest of projects why new laws are increasing the costs of waterproofing projects and more.

In our first chat for 2022, Reena and I cover: - the current pressure on short-staffed building and strata managers - our tips for dealing with “communication overwhelm” - why walking away from a client is sometimes the best option - the new service helping you find the perfect strata lawyer to suit your needs.

  Links mentioned: Get the transcript here! Australian College of Strata Lawyers Website Podcast Episode 124. Accused of having a conflict of interest? Podcast Episode 286. Strata Committees: 3 Popular Questions

Lawyer Bill Kritharas joins me to explain an owners corporation’s work health and safety obligations, including: how the WHS law applies differently to residential, commercial and mixed use buildings his problem with work health and safety reports the important role of the strata manager in guiding their clients,   and more. Links mentioned: Get the transcript here! Work Health and Safety Act 2011  Work Health and Safety Regulations 2011 Section 106 - Duty of owners corporation to maintain and repair property - Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) Sparke Helmore Lawyers Website Bill’s email address: Bill.Kritharas@sparke.com.au   Bill Kritharas’ LinkedIn Account