This article discusses how owners can formally raise proposals ignored by the strata committee.
Question: Can the committee ignore majority owner support for a master key upgrade, and how can an owner formally raise the proposal?
Our building does not have a master key system, so owners need multiple keys to access their apartments, the front door, and fire stair doors. A request was made to the committee to upgrade to a master key system for $10,000, but the committee rejected it, citing a lack of funds.
A voluntary survey of our 36 owners, which I conducted, resulted in 23 responses. 19 supported the upgrade, representing a majority. I provided the committee with this information, but they have not acknowledged or responded.
After reviewing the capital works fund, I believe around $100,000 may have been incorrectly classified. Is the committee obliged to act on the survey results, given the level of owner support? Should I submit a motion to the next committee meeting, or do I need to call an extraordinary general meeting to have the proposal formally considered?
Answer: A motion should be submitted for the next meeting of the owners corporation.
The strata committee is not obliged to act on the survey results. A committee can (and should) consider owner feedback, but unless the survey is formally conducted through a general meeting, it has no binding effect.
Even strong support (like 19 out of 36 owners) is still only an expression of interest until the matter is put to a general meeting where owners can vote formally.
However, given the numbers, the survey is useful evidence of support and committees often take such results into account in practice – but they are not compelled to.
A motion should be submitted for the next meeting of the owners corporation. Any person entitled to vote can submit a motion to the strata manager/secretary for inclusion on the agenda for the next general meeting of the owners corporation (Schedule 1, Part 2 (4) Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (the Act)).
If the AGM is many months away and you want the issue dealt with sooner, you (with support from other owners) can request a general meeting to be convened based on a qualified request (Section 19 of the Act: a request made by one or more owners of a lot with a total of at least one quarter of the aggregate unit entitlements).
You can also ask the committee to include your motion at their next committee meeting. However, please note that the committee reserves the right to reject or defer the motion. They are not required to approve it. To have a binding decision, it must be put to a general meeting of all owners.
In regard to the capital works fund classification issue, if you believe funds have been misclassified or incorrectly allocated, that’s also something that should be formally raised in a general meeting. The owners corporation as a whole decides how capital works funds are spent, and proper reclassification may require approval.
Jana Antelmann
Strata Life
E: jana@thestratalife.com.au
P: 02 9456 9917
This post appears in the November 2025 edition of The NSW Strata Magazine.
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Read next:
- NSW: Q&A What can owners do if the committee makes decisions outside of formal meetings?
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- NSW: Disagree With A Strata Committee Decision? What Can You Do?
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