Progress on insurance commissions in NSW
The board of SCA (NSW), which has many NSW strata managing agents as members, has resolved to get rid of insurance commissions for SCA member strata managing agents. This is an important first step – but only a first step. Much as we at OCN welcome this news, we are aware that insurance commissions are just one of the sources of conflicted remuneration for agents. So OCN has joined with [...]
Strata group to train managers for commission shift
Strata Community Association NSW says the phasing out of insurance commissions from next year will be supported by training, as the shift to alternative arrangements may be challenging for some managers.OCN's David Glover has welcomed SCA’s decision while noting other forms of conflicted remuneration also need to end, and it is important the commissions ban is not sidestepped.Read the article here
Strata group to train managers for commission shift
Strata Community Association NSW says the phasing out of insurance commissions from next year will be supported by training, as the shift to alternative arrangements may be challenging for some managers. The commissions, which have subsidised upfront strata management fees, have been opaque and the change aims to provide transparent remuneration for insurance-related work as state regulation increases disclosure requirements. Owners Network Corporation MD for services David Glover has welcomed [...]
Free OCN webinar: Victorian Owners urged to have their say on strata law reform
Apartment owners and residents are being urged to seize a “once-in-a-decade” chance to influence the laws governing strata living, with the state government’s review of the Owners Corporation Act 2006 now under way. The review, announced by Consumer Affairs Minister Nick Staikos in June, is being led by former minister Marsha Thomson and an expert panel, with recommendations due by December. With submissions closing on September 2, the Owners Corporation Network [...]
OCN calls for NT government to step up following huge strata special levy at Darwin apartment complex
Property owners at a Darwin apartment complex are paying more than $50,000 each towards a strata special levy, leaving many in financial difficulty. The $3 million special levy is being split between 71 apartments, and will see the main pool area at the complex reconstructed. Chris Irons (Queensland's former body corporate commissioner and Joint managing director of OCN) said OCN planned to establish an NT chapter, due to a current [...]
NSW removes strata blocking vote on EV chargers and rooftop solar for apartments
Key barriers have been removed for electric vehicle chargers and rooftop solar to be installed in apartments and other strata developments in NSW, as new laws that prescribe what strata committees can and can’t refuse take effect. OCN Chair and Director Fred Tuckwell told Renew Economy “I believe it has made it a fair bit easier for people because just the words saying you only need a simple majority… the optics [...]
House of pain: NSW construction firms collapse at record rate
OCN Policy Director Karen Stiles said the impacts of homeowners footing the bill of increased costs had “been as bad as suicide, marriage breakups (and) ill health”. Read the article here or https://ocn.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/House-of-pain-Construction-firms-collapse-at-record-rate.pdf
I had no idea – the Aussies finding the downsides to downsizing
Multiple factors account for a successful move, says Janette Corcoran, the Victorian director of the peak apartment-owners body, the Owners Corporation Network, and chair of her 42-level tower in Docklands, Victoria Point, which has more than 1000 residents, as well as serviced apartments, offices and retail outlets. “Whether downsizing works or not depends on the push and pull factors,” she says. “One family were feeling unsafe in their house in [...]
OCN supports council’s gas ban. Developers say it’s a no-brainer
OCN’s joint managing director, David Glover, said the move to all-electric homes was “inevitable” for health, environmental and economic reasons, so the City of Sydney’s restriction on gas in new homes was “well thought through and essential”. The City of Sydney has mandated that new residential developments will have to use electric cooktops, ovens and space heating from January 1, 2026, and be entirely gas free from the following year. [...]
OCN ACT and strata bodies unite behind the need for a Commissioner appointment
ACT strata bodies unite behind commissioner but warn funding falls short The Strata Community Association (SCA) and the Owners Corporation Network (OCN) have presented a united front in calling for a properly resourced strata commissioner to support Canberra’s growing population of strata-titled property owners. Read the article here
OCN Qld Director Chris Irons on ABC Brisbane radio – the outdoor fridge debate
OCN''s Queensland Director, Chris Irons explained the Tribunal's decision over a second pesky fridge on an owner's balcony Listen to the interview here
Insurance Challenges for Owners Corporations: The EV Fire Risk Dilemma
A new challenge has emerged for Owners Corporations managing apartment buildings and strata complexes. As EV ownership increases, these bodies are facing growing difficulties securing insurance coverage that adequately addresses the perceived fire risks associated with electric vehicles and their charging infrastructure. Fred Tuckwell, chair of the Owners Corporation Network advocacy group, notes that attitudes toward EV charging within Australia’s 1.2 million strata committees often follow broader political trends, creating [...]
Owners corporations’ must matter in Melbourne’s budget
OCN''s Victorian Director, Dr Janette Corcoran calls for the City of Melbourne to consider the realities faced by the thousands of existing strata buildings that are already home for the majority of the city’s residents. If you live in a high-rise, now is the time to speak up. The more the council hears that residential strata – and how this operates – matter, the more likely we are to see [...]
Solar Shock – Owners Claim They’ve Been Swindled
OCN's David Glover speaks to Maggie Raworth about the growing trend of developers installing embedded networks in new apartment buildings. They are routinely left with lengthy, expensive contracts that are difficult to negotiate or terminate. Worse, the apartment owners may not even own the infrastructure or benefit from energy produced. But they're required to maintain and repair it. https://youtu.be/UwKnlxEttTY
What happened next when a couple requested approval for EV charging ?
What happened when a husband-and-wife strata owner requested approval for EV charging next to their basement car park? In this recent case in Queensland, they were denied – a decision upheld by an adjudicator. It’s a significant case for owners everywhere and highlights the challenges around EV approvals in strata. Read the case here, and then, click the link below, listen to OCN Board Director and Joint Managing Director Chris [...]
Investing in older units carries growing cost of maintenance and upgrades
Investors looking to purchase apartments are being advised to exercise extra caution in light of a new report indicating that nearly half of Australia’s strata buildings are over 25 years old, with a growing need for maintenance and upgrades. “You wouldn’t buy shares in a company without first looking into it and the foundations it was built on, so you shouldn’t buy an apartment without doing the proper research either. [...]
Soft market sparks broker pay transparency fears
Consumer groups are warning that the current soft insurance market may open the door to remuneration practices that could disadvantage clients unless regulators step in. The Australian Consumers Insurance Lobby Inc (ACIL) has called on oversight bodies – including the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), and the Insurance Brokers Code Compliance Committee – to monitor how brokers adjust their pay structures during [...]
2SM Talks About Embedded Networks
Apartment owners in Sydney’s south are voicing outrage after discovering they’re being billed for electricity generated by solar panels on their own building’s roof. Ron Wilson speaks to Karen Stiles about embedded network traps for the unwary purchaser (or renter). Listen to interview:> https://omny.fm/shows/ronwilson/karen-stiles-solar-energy-agreements-07-05-25 Related interview of embedded network consultant:> https://omny.fm/shows/ronwilson/joseph-arena-arena-energy-consultings-principal-managing-director-08-05-25
‘You feel like Darryl Kerrigan of The Castle’: How Adam got charged for his own solar power
Angry apartment owners say they’re being charged for electricity generated by solar panels on their own roof thanks to a confidential agreement signed between their developer and the energy provider. When they moved into the new Dwell building in Sutherland, in Sydney’s south, they assumed the solar would help with their common property electricity bills. Instead, they’ve just been presented with a surprise bill for $28,717.06 for the past 12 [...]
‘Clearly inadequate’: strata owners call for broker code overhaul
The Owners Corporation Network of Australia says aspects of the $2 billion strata insurance market raise questions on ethics in the broking industry and the role and performance of the code. Its submission to the industry’s code review notes ABC reporting last year examined issues such as common ownership of underwriting agencies and brokers, and lack of transparency. The network says the code does not articulate what represents a conflict of interest [...]
NSW Urged to Push Through Strata Commission Ban
Strata owner and consumer groups have urged the NSW government to press ahead with the removal of strata manager insurance commissions. The proposed reforms are needed to restore trust and transparency, the Owners Corporation Network and the Australian Consumers Insurance Lobby say. A letter to Better Regulation and Fair Trading Minister Anoulack Chanthivong and NSW Fair Trading commissioner Natasha Mann argues banning the commissions will level the playing field. “Consumers will be [...]
Strata Commission Ban Sparks Clash Between Advocates and Industry
Consumer advocacy groups are calling on the New South Wales government to proceed with its proposed ban on strata insurance commissions, arguing the reform is essential to addressing conflicts of interest and restoring trust in the sector. The Owners Corporation Network (OCN) and the Australian Consumers Insurance Lobby Inc (ACIL) have jointly urged policymakers not to abandon the reform, despite growing resistance from within the strata management industry. The pushback [...]
Strata committee training: necessity or burden?
Owners’ corporation (OC) committees play a vital role in managing our residential buildings. Yet these annually elected volunteers often face wide-spread criticism ranging from accusations of misunderstanding complex strata regulations to internal dysfunction, to explicit conflicts of interest. One proposed solution is committee training, a measure recently introduced in New South Wales (NSW). NSW now requires OC committee members to undertake formal training, aligning their duties more closely with those [...]
Stuart found the ideal home – until he found out it was tainted
A stunning $4 million penthouse caught the eye of business consultant Stuart McLean at the weekend but when he looked into the apartment building further, he had second thoughts. He discovered it was managed by Netstrata, the strata management company found, after an independent investigation, potentially to have charged excessive fees and not disclosed commissions and conflicts of interest. The company is contesting the allegations. Chair Fred Tuckwell of the [...]
Inquiry to put booming but troubled strata sector under microscope
How Canberra’s strata properties are managed will come under the scrutiny of a Legislative Assembly inquiry that could shape the role of a promised Strata Commissioner and new laws to govern the burgeoning sector. The Legislative Assembly’s Standing Committee on Legal Affairs has kicked off the inquiry and is calling for submissions from all interested parties ahead of holding public hearings. The inquiry will focus on the application of the Unit [...]
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