Creatures of Habit
As Elana Huthnance, Operations Manager at SCA (NSW), can attest, I am very much a creature of habit.
Every morning, without fail, I venture out to the beaches of Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs and snap a photograph of the Pacific Ocean, which I then send to a few “lucky” recipients before their 7am alarms.
While being a creature of habit has served me well in my unofficial career as an amateur Eastern Suburbs influencer, there is a downside to habitual routines, particularly in our industry.
As strata managers, no two days are ever quite the same, yet somehow, we can find ourselves falling into the same familiar rhythm of simply conquering our daily responsibilities.
It becomes all too easy to put our heads down, focus on the next task and forget to look up and appreciate what we have achieved.
Very rarely do we stop to celebrate the work we do to help keep the lights on for strata communities across NSW.
So, before we get caught up in the next email, the next meeting or the next round of legislative changes, I want to take a moment to say thank you.
And, just as importantly, I encourage you to take a moment to celebrate the work you do.
SCA (NSW) CHU Strata Community Awards
Building on that sentiment, it is a privilege to recognise and celebrate the outstanding achievements of the finalists and winners of our 2026 SCA (NSW) CHU Strata Community Awards for Excellence – full list of winners here SCA (NSW) CHU Strata Community Award Winners
To all our finalists and winners, congratulations.
Your achievements are a testament to the professionalism, innovation, leadership and commitment that exist throughout the NSW strata community.
We might be creatures of habit, but perhaps celebrating our achievements is one habit we could all afford to develop.
Emergency Services Levy Funding Reform Inquiry
SCA (NSW) has long advocated for a fairer funding model that removes taxes on insurance and improves affordability for strata communities and last month, I spoke at a hearing of the NSW Parliament’s Select Committee Inquiry that’s developed options to replace the present Emergency Services Levy (ESL) model that remains an unfair burden on strata owners.
Strata owners in NSW have been paying up to three times more in ESL charges than their Victorian counterparts, despite facing similar insurance needs. Our sector has disproportionately funded Emergency Services agencies because Owners Corporations are required to maintain compulsory building insurance.
We support reforms that would replace the insurance-based levy with a broader property-based funding model, bringing New South Wales into line with every other state and territory in Australia and support a coalition of business, consumer, community and industry organisations to support the Insurance Council of Australia’s “Why are we waiting?” Campaign.
Regards
Robert Anderson
President, SCA (NSW)
