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NSW Strata Webinars

Regularly, LookUpStrata partners with industry leaders to discuss topics of interest for our NSW audience of lot owners, strata industry professionals and the broader NSW community. These strata webinars usually feature Q&A sessions where the panelist/s answer NSW questions that have been submitted by our audience either leading up to or during the session.

NSW: Navigating the Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment Bill 2025: What OCs need to know | Matthew Lo, Kerin Benson Lawyers – Apr 2025

Presentation slides

Download the slide pack from today’s presentation here: NSW Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment Bill 2025: new wine in old wine skins?

Matthew Lo
Kerin Benson Lawyers
E: enquiries@kerinbensonlawyers.com.au
P: 02 8706 7060

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NSW Strata Webinars | 2024

NSW: Visitor Parking Pain: Solutions for Owners Corporations | Leanne Habib, Premium Strata and Shady Eskander, Spoto – Nov 2024

Presentation slides: NSW Visitor Parking Pain: Solutions for Owners Corporations

Download the slide pack from today’s presentation here: NSW Visitor Parking Pain: Solutions for Owners Corporations

Leanne Habib
Premium Strata
E: info@premiumstrata.com.au
P: 02 9281 6440

Shady Eskander
Spoto
E: shady@spoto.com
P: 02 9281 6440

NSW: Change is Coming! The Strata Managing Agents Legislation Amendment Bill 2024 | Chris Kerin, Kerin Benson Lawyers – Oct 2024

Presentation slides: Strata Managing Agents Legislation Amendment Bill 2024

Download the slide pack from today’s presentation here: Strata Managing Agents Legislation Amendment Bill 2024

Christopher Kerin
Kerin Benson Lawyers
E: enquiries@kerinbensonlawyers.com.au
P: 02 8706 7060

NSW: Update on the latest issues in strata building defects claims | David Bannerman, Bannermans Lawyers – Oct 2024

David Bannerman
Bannermans Lawyers
E: enquiries@bannermans.com.au
P: 02 9929 0226

NSW Choosing the right strata manager: Your guide to tendering | Megan Parkins, Tender Advisory – Sept 2024

You can download the presentation and read more about the webinar here: NSW Benefits of conducting a formal tender for strata management.

Megan Parkins
Tender Advisory
E: info@tenderadvisory.com.au

NSW: When Disaster Strikes! Navigate Strata Emergencies with Confidence | Leanne Habib, Premium Strata and Shady Eskander, Former Opal Towers Chair – July 2024

Leanne Habib from Premium Strata and Shady Eskander, Former Opal Towers Chair, join us for a webinar designed to equip you, whether you’re a lot owner, committee member, or strata manager, with the knowledge and skills to navigate emergencies with confidence.

Leanne and Shady shed light on emergency readiness for strata communities. Leanne and Shady break down the essential roles of strata managers and committees during emergencies. You’ll also gain practical tips and strategies to enhance your community’s response to major defects and disasters.

The Opal Tower disaster in NSW occurred in December 2018 when significant cracks were discovered in the building, forcing residents to evacuate. Investigations revealed that the design and construction of the building failed to meet the required codes and standards. This led to safety concerns that made the building unfit for habitation.

The Opal Tower incident highlighted broader issues in the NSW building industry, prompting calls for stricter regulations and better quality control measures.

During this webinar, Shady draws on his Opal experience to offer real-life insights on crisis management, improving safety, and building resilience within your community. And Leanne provides expert guidance to strengthen your community’s response plan.

Some main points made during the session:

  • The importance of communicating the right message at the right time, with a clear outline of timelines.
  • Keep the communication ongoing with regular updates and any further issues that come to light.
  • What to do in the absence of instruction.
  • When to get the experts and professionals involved, who to choose and why.
  • The necessity of accurate record keeping throughout the process.
  • How to develop a toolkit to prepare for a disaster or emergency.

Links to resources mentions during the session:

Presentation slides: When Disaster Strikes! Navigate Strata Emergencies with Confidence

Download the slide pack from today’s presentation here: When Disaster Strikes! Navigate Strata Emergencies with Confidence

Leanne Habib
Premium Strata
E: info@premiumstrata.com.au
P: 02 9281 6440

Shady Eskander
Former Opal Towers Chairperson

NSW: Water Leaks, NCAT and Common Property – Is the Owners Corporation Responsible? | Adrian Mueller, JSM Mueller & Co Strata Lawyers – July 2024

Adrian Mueller from JS Mueller & Co Strata Lawyers guides us through the owner corporation’s duties regarding water leaks and common property repairs.

The unprecedented rainfall in NSW over the last two and a half years has caused a surge in strata building leaks, leading to a rise in NCAT disputes. Leaks are increasingly causing damage to owner apartments. Lot owners are suing their owners corporations to force the repair of the common property and for compensation for their losses.

Some main points and questions answered during the session:

  • If there is a defect in common property, how long does the owners corporation have to fix it? Adrian’s answer: the owners corporation has to fix the defect immediately.

  • The duty to repair common property is owed to each owner. If that duty is breached, an owner can sue the owners corporation for damages to recover any reasonably foreseeable losses the owner suffers as a breach of that responsibility.

  • There are four primary ways an owners corporation can relieve itself from its duty to repair common property. Adrian details what these are.

  • Adrian covers what remedies are available to owners when an owners corporation does not repair common property.

  • The types of loss unit owners can recover from their owners corporations.

  • If you are making a claim against the owners corporation at NCAT for repairs or compensation, what do you need to prove to win your case? And what’s the timeframe to sue?

  • Can the strata manager be held liable for damages if the committee refuse to carry out repairs and/or maintenance?

  • Adrain even shared a strata secret. What little known, unlawful action allows committees to drive through bylaws without full consent of the owners corporation? You may be surprised – apparently it happens quite a lot.

If you enjoyed this video, be the first notified when we upload new video content. Head over to the LookUpStrata YouTube Channel to subscribe, like and comment on our videos. We thank you for the support!

Presentation slides: Fixing Water Leaks – The duty of an owners corporation to repair common property

Download the slide pack from today’s presentation here: Fixing Water Leaks – The duty of an owners corporation to repair common property

Adrian Mueller
JS Mueller & Co Lawyers
E: adrianmueller@muellers.com.au
P: 02 9562 1266

NSW: Fire Safety – what’s changing, when and what do you need to do about it? | Rob Broadhead, 2020 Fire Protection – March 2024

Rob Broadhead from 2020 Fire Protection joined Nikki Jovicic from LookUpStrata to discuss changes to fire safety in class 2 residential buildings.

What’s changing in fire safety? How do owners, managers, practitioners, and residents need to prepare for February 2025?

In 2021, the Office of the Building Commissioner tasked a working group of industry experts to produce a report aimed at enhancing fire safety in Class 2 buildings, which are essentially residential strata buildings.

Today, we are fortunate to have Rob with us. Rob was a member of this group. The working group produced the October 2021 Report on Improving Fire Safety. This webinar explains the implications of that report and how owners corporations can fulfil the necessary requirements.

Links to resources mentions during the session:

Presentation slides: FIRE SAFETY UPDATE – What’s changing? What do we need to do about it?

Download the slide pack from today’s presentation here: FIRE SAFETY UPDATE: What’s changing? What do we need to do about it?

Rob Broadhead
2020 Fire Protection
E: rob.broadhead@2020fire.com.au
P: 1300 340 210

NSW: Strata scheme law reforms introduced December 2023 | Allison Benson, Kerin Benson Lawyers – January 2024

Allison Benson from Kerin Benson Lawyers joined Nikki Jovicic from LookUpStrata to discuss the changes to NSW strata and community title legislation that came into effect on 11 December 2023.

What changed with the reforms? Allison is here to fill us in about committee elections and removal, managing agency agreements, funds for emergency repairs, strata renewal and much more.

Links to resources mentions during the session:

Presentation slides: Would your by-laws pass the ‘reasonable’ test?

Download the slide pack from today’s presentation here: Would your by-laws pass the ‘reasonable’ test?

Allison Benson
Kerin Benson Lawyers
E: allison@kerinbensonlawyers.com.au
P: 02 4032 7990

NSW Strata Webinars | 2023

NSW: Tools and techniques for running an effective AGM | Rod Smith, The Strata Collective – July 2023

Rod Smith from The Strata Collective joins us to discuss how to run an effective Annual General Meeting.

Running an effective Annual General Meeting is one of the most important functions of an Owners Corporation. It is the Strata Manager’s time to shine and show their knowledge, commitment and passion for their work.

As the Managing Director of The Strata Collective with over 20 years of experience running strata meetings, Rod is the ideal candidate to present this session. Rod has conducted more than 2000 Strata Meetings and has generously offered to share his valuable tools and techniques with us today.

Rod takes us beyond the legislation and into the practical aspects of running an effective AGM:

  • Ensure the meeting time doesn’t blow out.

  • Get owners on board when dealing with challenging decisions such as levy increases.

  • How to make sure you get the right mix of people on the committee.

  • Setting up a good culture for the management of your owners corporation.

  • A prep list: what strata managers need to take to the AGM.

Links to resources mentions during the session:

Download the presentation

Download the slide pack from today’s presentation here: NSW: Running an effective AGM.

Rod Smith
The Strata Collective
E: rsmith@thestratacollective.com.au
P: 02 9879 3547

NSW: Resolving building defects with the help of Project Intervene | Bruce Mckenzie, Sedgwick and Yolande Nyss and Elizabeth Stewart, NSW Department of Customer Service – May 2023

Bruce Mckenzie from Sedgwick and Yolande Nyss and Elizabeth Stewart from NSW Department of Customer Service joined Nikki Jovicic from LookUpStrata to explain how Project Intervene is helping to resolve serious defects in NSW strata buildings.

Project Intervene is a NSW government-driven program that works to resolve serious defects in the common property of occupied buildings under statutory warranty (typically, up to 6 years old). One of the major benefits of Project Intervene is there is no cost to the owners corporation. The developer pays for the remediation works and all associated costs. Registration for the project has been extended to 30 November 2023!

The detailed presentation explained how the project works, who can apply and what the process looks like, as well as:

  • What defects are addressed by Project Intervene

  • What you can expect from Project Intervene

  • The benefits of participating in Project Intervene

  • Why it’s important to register now (before the new 30 November 2023 deadline), even if you are not sure if you meet all of the requirements

Links to resources mentions during the session:

Download the Presentation

Download the slide pack from this webinar presentation here: Project Intervene

Bruce McKenzie
Sedgwick
E: bruce.mckenzie@au.sedgwick.com
P: 1300 735 720

Yolande Nyss
Program Manager
Register for Project Intervene

Elizabeth Stewart
Director Legal
Register for Project Intervene

NSW: Bylaw breaches – The step-by-step guide to enforcement | Leanne Habib, Premium Strata – May 2023

Leanne Habib from Premium Strata joined Nikki Jovicic from LookUpStrata to navigate us through a step by step guide to bylaw enforcement.

The information contained in the session is invaluable for those battling with breached bylaws. The slides contain excellent resources you’ll refer to again and again:

  • The responsibility of the owners corporation to enforce the bylaws

  • The step by step procedure for enforcing bylaws (see slide pack)

  • Who issues the Notice to Comply and how is it served?

  • Tangible steps to take if the breach continues

  • Penalties – how much can be awarded?

  • Flowchart for mediation and application for NCAT orders

  • Four (very) helpful hints to help you with your bylaws breaches

  • A case study showing how this process resolved problems with bylaw breaches

Links to resources mentions during the session:

Download the Presentation

Download the slide pack from this webinar presentation here: Webinar Presentation Enforcing by-law breaches

Leanne Habib
Premium Strata
E: info@premiumstrata.com.au
P: 02 9281 6440

NSW: The importance of complete strata records and why you should care | Michael Ferrier, Eyeon Property Inspections – May 2023

Michael Ferrier from EYEON Property Inspections joins Will Marquand from Tower Body Corporate (on behalf of LookUpStrata) to discuss the importance of well-organised strata records.

Here are just some of the important points Michael makes during the session:

  • No matter who keeps the records, they belong to the Owners – not the strata management business.

  • The records are the shared history of the building.

  • Buildings with poor records are often poor in other ways as well.

  • Why the transfer of records when a building changes strata

  • managers is a flawed process and what you can do about it.

  • Michael outlines the major problems with records and offers solutions to overcome these problems.

Michael outlines the major problems with records and offers solutions to overcome these problems.

Download the slide pack from this webinar presentation here: Strata Records: Why good records are important

Michael Ferrier
Eyeon Property Inspections
E: michael.ferrier@eyeon.com.au
P: 02 9260 5510

NSW: Would your bylaws pass the ‘reasonable’ test? | Allison Benson, Kerin Benson Lawyers – April 2023

Allison Benson from Kerin Benson Lawyers joined Nikki Jovicic from LookUpStrata to discuss reasonable by-laws. What is classed as reasonable? Could your by-laws fall into the harsh, unconscionable and oppressive basket? Can unreasonable by-laws be enforced?

Allison provided an overview of recent decisions affecting by-laws to review what is or is not a harsh, unconscionable and oppressive by-law. Using these cases, Allison shares the two key considerations when reviewing your bylaws. Don’t miss these!

Links to resources mentions during the session:

Presentation slides: Would your by- laws pass the ‘reasonable’ test?

Download the slide pack from today’s presentation here: Would your by-laws pass the ‘reasonable’ test?

Allison Benson
Kerin Benson Lawyers
E: allison@kerinbensonlawyers.com.au
P: 02 4032 7990

NSW: Voting and Proxies – How to fill in a proxy form | Rod Smith, The Strata Collective – February 2023

The area of proxies is often quite a complicated and technical one. As a lot owner or Strata Manager, it is really important you have a clear understanding of how to complete a proxy form. This session covered some of the common errors that invalidate proxy forms. During the session, Rod demonstrates how to fill out a proxy form and provides some examples of proxy forms that have been incorrectly filled out.

This session provides a framework for completing and registering proxy forms so that participants can be confident proxy forms have been correctly recorded and that the voting at General Meetings is correct and in accordance with NSW legislation.

Rod generously provides the secret spreadsheet used by The Strata Collective to stay on top of proxies, especially when working with larger buildings. This access to Rod’s processes and procedures will assist strata managers to move on to the next stage of community management. It also provides lot owners with a glimpse into the work your strata manager does (or should be doing) when organising for your AGM.

During the webinar, we spoke about:

  • Decision of the Owners Corporation

  • Decisions of a Strata Committee

  • Completing a Proxy

  • Existing requirements

  • Some common errors.

Links to resources mentions during the session:

Download the slide pack from today’s presentation here: NSW: Voting and Proxies.

Rod Smith
The Strata Collective
E: rsmith@thestratacollective.com.au
P: 02 9879 3547

NSW Strata Webinars | 2022

NSW: Renovations – what you can and cannot do without OC approval | Allison Benson, Kerin Benson Lawyers – September 2022

Allison Benson from Kerin Benson Lawyers joins Nikki Jovicic from LookUpStrata for a webinar about applying for renovations. Over the last 2.5 years, there has been a boom in home renovations. In this session, we discussed the three levels of approval for works in strata schemes and what you can and cannot do in NSW strata schemes without the approval of your owners corporation or strata committee.

Don’t miss Allison’s tips on how to streamline your renovation approval application.

During the webinar, Allison spoke about:

  • What are the renovation rules?

  • The DO’s – What are the recommended steps if you are wanting to renovate.

  • What changes when your renovation involves sustainability infrastructure?

  • How to smooth out to process if you do need approval.

  • The BIG 5 – Strata Renovation DON’T’s.

  • Two real life renovation examples.

  • Lots of interesting questions….. so many that we ran a little over time (but it was very worth it).

  • We even got to see Ollie Dogasaurus and Melvin.

Links to resources mentions during the session:

Download the slide pack from today’s presentation here: Renovations- what you can and cannot do without OC approval.

Allison Benson
Kerin Benson Lawyers
E: allison@kerinbensonlawyers.com.au
P: 02 4032 7990

NSW: Strata Managing Agents – Assisting committees through difficult times | Leanne Habib from Premium Strata – June 2022

Leanne Habib from Premium Strata joined Nikki Jovicic from LookUpStrata for a webinar about how to get the most out of your Strata Manager. Are you fully accessing your strata manager’s knowledge and expertise to gain the most assistance when times get tough? Good Strata Managing Agents allow you access to their extensive practices and procedures, systems, knowledge, and expertise to assist committees through difficult times.

During the webinar, Leanne spoke about:

  • The difference between choice and obligation

  • The steps involved in tackling a large problem, including practical examples

  • The importance of having the strata manager and committee on the same team with goals aligned

  • How important it is to have a strata manager with strong leadership skills

  • Tips on how to get a large decision across the line (spoiler – it’s to do with transparent communication)

Links to resources mentions during the session:

Download the slide pack from today’s presentation here: Strata Managing Agents: Assisting committees through difficult times.

Leanne Habib
Premium Strata
E: info@premiumstrata.com.au
P: 02 9281 6440

NSW: Interpreting Your Strata Plan | Rod Smith from The Strata Collective – May 2022

Rod Smith from The Strata Collective joined Nikki Jovicic from LookUpStrata for a webinar about how to interpret your strata plan and recognise what is lot property and what is common property.

During the webinar, Rod spoke about:

  • Key Legislations involving Strata Schemes

  • Lot vs Common Property

  • Understanding key terms on a Strata

  • Plan Some Case Studies

This webinar session is an important reference tool for NSW lot owners and the strata industry.

Links to resources mentions during the session:

Download the slide pack from today’s presentation here: Reading a Strata Plan.

Rod Smith
The Strata Collective
E: rsmith@thestratacollective.com.au
P: 02 9879 3547

NSW + ACT: Helping lot owners deal with strata building defects + Q&A | Christopher Kerin from Kerin Benson Lawyers – March 2022

5 stages of defects

Christopher Kerin from Kerin Benson Lawyers joined Nikki Jovicic from LookUpStrata for a webinar about lot owner reactions to building defects in NSW and the ACT.

During the webinar, Chris spoke about:

  • 5 stages of defects

  • how these reactions influence a building’s success when negotiating remediation of defects

  • the difference between an apartment block that responds in a constructive way and an apartment block that is inert or incapable of responding to defects

Chris’s presentation triggered an interesting discussion driven by comments within the session chat. This session is a very different format from our usual webinars and Chris introduces ideas you probably have not heard before!

Christopher Kerin
Kerin Benson Lawyers
E: enquiries@kerinbensonlawyers.com.au
P: 02 8706 7060

NSW: What to Look for in a Fire Contractor… aside from price! + Q&A | Rob Broadhead from 2020 Fire Protection – March 2022

Making the Right Decision When Choosing a Fire Contractor

Rob Broadhead from 2020 Fire Protection joined Nikki Jovicic from LookUpStrata for webinar about the importance of choosing a fire contractor you can trust.

During the webinar, Rob spoke about:

  • The first step in choosing a fire contractor is getting confirmation that they are going to follow AS1851-2012 in-full.

  • If a contractor’s prices are cheaper than the others, make sure they aren’t “cherry picking” from the requirements of AS1851-2012. The person(s) losing out is YOU! Be sure the systems protecting you continue to work reliably to keep your building’s residents safe?

  • Number 1 take away – get written confirmation that the quote you are reading includes ALL testing to AS1851-2012.

After the session, Rob responded to our audience’s questions about choosing a fire contractor plus other more general fire safety questions.

The presentation slides accompanying the session can be accessed via this link.

Rob Broadhead
2020 Fire Protection
E: rob.broadhead@2020fire.com.au
P: 1300 340 210

NSW & QLD: Embedded Energy Networks for Owners Corporations and Bodies Corporate Webinar + Q&A | Drew McKillican from Altogether Group – February 2022

The importance of knowing your obligations with Embedded Energy Networks

Drew McKillican from Altogether Group joined Nikki Jovicic from LookUpStrata for a webinar on NSW and QLD Embedded Energy Networks. In this webinar, Drew explained the key differences between having a billing agent manage your embedded network under an exemption scheme versus an authorised energy retailer and why this is important.

During the webinar, Drew spoke about:

  • How customer pricing works and what you’re really paying for.

  • The advantages the owners corporation/body corporate and the residents should be experiencing from their embedded network.

  • How to work out whether you’re paying too much for your energy.

  • Whether your owners corporation/body corporate could be exposing themselves to risks and how to mitigate those risks by passing responsibility back to the supplier. 

  • How if you are in a building with an embedded network and you are NOT getting a better deal than you could get if you were to leave the network, something is fundamentally wrong with the arrangement.

  • How owners corporations/bodies corporate (and their residents) have more power over your embedded network arrangements than you may think! 

  • How the costs structures of embedded networks are such that you should almost never be paying more and you should be paying significantly less.

  • Plus Much More…

The presentation slides accompanying the session can be accessed via this link.

Drew McKillican
Altogether Group
E: DMcKillican@altogethergroup.com.au

NSW Strata Webinars | 2021

NSW: Annual Strata Audits and Financial Statements Webinar + Q&A | Presented in Conjunction with OCN, featuring Rod Laws and Caren Chen, Tinworth & Co – October 2021

As well as discussing what you need to know about auditing strata scheme annual accounts and financial statements, Rod and Caren also answered many questions. Just some of the information touched on:

  • Information about auditor appointment, audit scope and process
  • Trust Account Audit VS Strata Financial Audit
  • Strata audit myths – the misconceptions owners commonly make
  • Plus Much More…

As always, the presentation is followed by a short Q&A session where the panel responded to some very interesting questions submitted by our audience on the topic, such as:

  • What triggers an audit?
  • The value of an annual audit when you have a diligent and hands-on Treasurer
  • Whether an auditor provides any proactive mitigation against the risk of strata manager fraud
  • Whether the committee can have a credit card for the trust account

The presentation accompanying the session can be accessed via this link.

Tinworth & Co
E: Caren.Chen@tinworth.com
P: 02 9922 3660

OCN Membership

Find out about becoming an OCN Member here:

Owners Corporation Network of Australia Ltd
E: enquiries@ocn.org.au
P: 02 8197 9919

NSW: High Performing Strata Committees | Rod Smith, The Strata Collective – August 2021

In August 2021, Rod Smith from The Strata Collective joined us for a webinar on High Performing Strata Committees. His session contained a presentation that includes lots of really great information, plus a Sample Agenda and Sample Minutes. You can DOWNLOAD THE PRESENTATION here: High Performing Strata Committees.

During the same session, one of our regular NSW viewers mentioned their building used a Management Handbook and found it very useful. They have generously offered to share the resource with our audience and you can download it here: Management Handbook.

Both of these resources were shared with the list of Webinar Registrations from the session shortly after the event (which is why it is a good reason to attend our sessions) however, we are making these resources available to our broader audience now. Rod Smith can be contacted here:

Rod Smith
The Strata Collective
E: rsmith@thestratacollective.com.au
P: 02 9879 3547

NSW: Ask Us Anything Strata Webinar | Leanne Habib, Premium Strata – June 2021

NSW: Pets In Strata Q&A | Adrian Mueller, JS Mueller & Co Lawyers

NSW Strata Webinars | 2020

NSW: Ask Us Anything (Strata) Q&A | Rod Smith, The Strata Collective

NAT: Ask Us Anything Strata Insurance | Tyrone Shandiman, Strata Insurance Solutions

NAT: Stratabox Demo | Paul Chervot, StrataBox


NSW Strata Webinars | 2016

NSW: Top 5 Ways the New Strata Reforms will Impact Your Life | Adrian Mueller, JS Mueller & Co Lawyers

NSW: Strata Window Safety | Peter Berney, Solutions In Engineering


SCA Membership

SCA WA Membership

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Disclaimer

The opinions and/or views expressed on the LookUpStrata site, including, but not limited to, our blogs and comments, represent the thoughts of individual bloggers and our online communities, and not those necessarily of LookUpStrata Pty Ltd. In all instances, information should not be taken as advice and independent legal advice should be consulted.

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