In a recent webinar with SCA (NSW), Angus Abadee, NSW Strata & Property Services Commissioner, provided members with an overview of the upcoming mandatory Strata Committee training and what committee members can expect when the new requirements come into effect on 1 October 2026.
Will the training be face-to-face or online?
The training will be a self-paced online course.
Where will the committee training be hosted?
The committee training will be hosted on the Strata Hub portal.
How long is the training intended to be?
60 minutes – consisting of 6*10-minute topics.
What are the 6 topics covered?
The six topics covered in the training are broken into:
- What is Strata?
- An introduction to understand what the difference between Strata and other types of property ownership is, how the decision-making process works and what the committee are empowered to do.
- Covers:
- Lots and common property
- Owners corporations and strata committees
- Decision-making
- What is the Strata Committee
- Course on the Strata Committee itself, the distinct roles that sit within it, their authority, and how they work with the Strata Managing agent and other Strata Professionals.
- Covers:
- Committee and office-holder roles
- Decisions-making authority
- Working with professionals
- Time, Workload and Decisions-Making
- This is about preparing Strata Committee members to understand there’s an expectation that they invest time in understanding the issues they’re deliberating on, have the best information available, and can provide owners with advice on what went into that decision.
- Covers:
- Meeting Preparation
- Recording-decisions
- Acting for owners and the building
- Legal and Ethical Responsibilities
- Ensuring committee members are aware of the fiduciary framing of what it means to be a Strata Committee member.
- Covers:
- Care and diligence
- Conflicts of interest
- Fair and lawful decisions
- Taking Care of Your Home: Your Money and Your Building
- Educating Strata Committees on proactively managing the repairs and maintenance program, whilst working with the Strata manager to develop appropriate budgets and capital works maintenance programs that are in alignment with their Section 106 obligations.
- Covers:
- Strata funds
- Capital works planning
- Maintenance and repair tools
- People, Conflict, Management and Lawful Conduct
- The final topic covers people, conflict management and lawful conduct, with a focus on how to effectively manage disputes. As well as the obligations of the Strata Committee and Chair in facilitating productive meetings, providing transparency and ensuring everyone has a fair opportunity to be heard.
- Covers:
- Duties in practice
- Managing disagreement
- Calm and fair conduct
Take a look at NSW Fair Trading’s recent release on strata committee training – Strata committee training | NSW Government
