Strata & Community Living Autumn 2021

2021 Autumn Edition

Updated ‘Who’s responsible’ guide for 2021
Strata Law Review
Common Issues for Balconies in Strata
EGMs Explained
NSW Building Commissioner’s Report Card

 

Updated ‘Who’s responsible’ guide for 2021

A huge amount of work has gone into compiling the information and updating the guide to ensure that all readers receive the most up to date suggestions and recommendations for addressing property damage and liability in strata.

It aims to give some guidance on who usually would be responsible for giving that item attention.

Click here to access the guide.

 

Strata Law Review

The NSW Government is undertaking a review of strata laws and wants community feedback on how the laws can be changed to better support people living or working in strata schemes.

The wide-ranging review covers diverse areas of interest – including managing common property, resolving disputes, by-laws including animals, committee and owners corporation meetings, mixed-use schemes, strata renewal, animals in strata and much more.

Common Issues for Balconies in Strata

While a balcony is a wonderful asset to have, when it’s located in a strata title development, there are certain issues you need to be aware of – what’s common and what’s not when it comes to balcony/deck degradation.

Water Leaks

The most common issue with body corporate balconies is, by far, water ingress. Regular painting is crucial. The paint seals the concrete against moisture penetration.

Cracked or “Drummy” tiles

Cracked or lifted tiles need to be repaired as soon as possible. Movement of the tiles can tear the waterproof membrane. Even if the tiles come away cleanly it opens the way for water to penetrate to the membrane. It will have no way to drain away and can cause deterioration.

Deterioration of the Balustrade or Fittings

Balustrades are made of all sorts of materials such as concrete, steel, wood, or glass. They are also fixed to the slab by either cementing in place or a complex arrangement of bolts.

All the materials are open to the elements and erosion or other deterioration will happen

Concrete Cancer

Concrete cancer, or more correctly concrete spalling, is common in coastal areas. For most buildings concrete cancer is a treatable problem. Regular painting is crucial. The paint seals the concrete against moisture penetration. Painting goes hand in hand with inspection of the building and, if identified, repair of any spalling.

EGMs Explained

The term “extraordinary” is not typically referred to in any legislation so, officially, these non-annual general meetings aren’t really ‘extraordinary general meetings’, but just General Meetings. The term ‘extraordinary’ has been adopted into popular vernacular amongst the industry, thus the EGM acronym was coined.

Quick facts:

• An EGM can be held at any time throughout the year. There are no restrictions as to how many EGM’s can be conducted.
• All other meeting requirements must be adhered to in that notices, an agenda as well as timeframes must comply with the Act

NSW Building Commissioner’s Report Card

The NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler OAM was recently interviewed to deliver a 6-month report card of what has been achieved, what’s been completed and what’s in the pipeline for consumers across NSW from him and the Office of the Building Commissioner (OBC).