OCN Executive Director

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So far OCN Executive Director has created 171 blog entries.

If you live in an apartment, where do you dry your laundry?

2024-10-29T14:45:31+11:00

Where you dry your laundry can all depend on your Strata rules if you're in an apartment, and that can mean even your balcony is off limits. Why do these rules exist and are they fair? Guest: Karen Stiles, Director of the Owners Corporation Network Listen to interview with Andy Park:>  https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/radionational-drive/does-your-strata-rule-where-you-put-your-laundry-/104527622

If you live in an apartment, where do you dry your laundry?2024-10-29T14:45:31+11:00

ABC Sydney Breakfast Discusses Drying Laundry on Balconies

2024-10-28T14:20:08+11:00

Apartment buildings that restrict residents from drying their washing outdoors are facing a push to relax the rules as sustainability and cost-of-living concerns make dryers less desirable. OCN talks to Craig Reucassel about the vexed issue of residents being allowed to dry their laundry on their balcony. Listen to interview (2:18:55 minutes - 2:22:39 minutes):>  https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/sydney-breakfast/sydney-breakfast/104500156

ABC Sydney Breakfast Discusses Drying Laundry on Balconies2024-10-28T14:20:08+11:00

Apartment dwellers push for the right to air their clean laundry

2024-10-28T11:29:11+11:00

Apartment buildings that restrict residents from drying their washing outdoors are facing a push to relax the rules as sustainability and cost-of-living concerns make dryers less desirable. Karen Stiles, executive director of the Owners Corporation Network of Australia, said conflict over laundry was becoming more common in both states because new developments were not designed for people’s needs. While older apartment blocks typically had communal clotheslines, this had “gone out the [...]

Apartment dwellers push for the right to air their clean laundry2024-10-28T11:29:11+11:00

A place in the sun: How to get solar to 2.5m apartment dwellers

2024-10-26T10:41:28+11:00

Australia has the highest uptake of rooftop solar in the world, but millions of apartment residents are not reaping the benefits of cheaper power and electrification. Yet in large buildings such as high-rise apartments, the report says, up to 60 per cent of energy consumption comes from common areas and shared services, and about 25 per cent of administrative fund strata levies are spent on energy bills alone. Karen Stiles, executive [...]

A place in the sun: How to get solar to 2.5m apartment dwellers2024-10-26T10:41:28+11:00

Bukola bought a home. Now she’s trapped in a noise nightmare

2024-10-24T15:22:11+11:00

When businesswoman Bukola Adede bought an apartment in a luxury high-rise in North Sydney, she was shocked to be disturbed all day long by what she assumed was a neighbour constantly moving furniture around.  Then there was a series of thudding noises that were so loud and made her apartment shake so much that Adede and a visiting friend thought bombs had gone off and called police. Finally, she was told by [...]

Bukola bought a home. Now she’s trapped in a noise nightmare2024-10-24T15:22:11+11:00

New commish seeks collaboration, not conflict

2024-10-24T16:02:27+11:00

NSW has a new Building Commissioner, and he’s promising a different approach to his predecessor, David Chandler, the scourge of dodgy developers and bodgy builders. Mr Sherrard’s challenge is to maintain wavering public confidence in apartment construction, so that people still buy off the plan which is necessary to fulfil the state’s need for hundreds of thousands of new apartments. Owners’representatives have welcomed the appointment, albeit with a level of caution. [...]

New commish seeks collaboration, not conflict2024-10-24T16:02:27+11:00

Shocking pictures reveal ‘horror’ in home

2024-10-28T10:29:35+11:00

A Melbourne woman living in an apartment, who was terrified that the building would collapse, has been forced to stay as she watches the place crumble around her with repairs to the building estimated to cost a whopping $1.5 million. Chunks of plaster have come crashing down from the wall and wind blows through gaping holes in Serena’s* apartment but she said she is trapped – with no way to fix [...]

Shocking pictures reveal ‘horror’ in home2024-10-28T10:29:35+11:00

Brokers and advocates call for public strata inquiry

2024-10-24T18:31:10+11:00

In response to last night’s damning ABC Four Corners’ report on the strata industry, a coalition of consumer advocacy groups, including insurance brokers, has called on the federal government to launch a public inquiry. A media release cited “systemic harmful practices within the industry that compromise consumer rights and community expectations.” Tyrone Shandiman (pictured above), chair of the Australian Consumers Insurance Lobby (ACIL), said his group has already documented 146 cases [...]

Brokers and advocates call for public strata inquiry2024-10-24T18:31:10+11:00

Apartment repair laws create extra burden for owners

2024-10-24T18:09:17+11:00

Investor Arthur Panos learned in September that he, along with other owners of the four apartments in a building in Sydney’s inner west, would have to fix the waterproofing of the largely problem-free property. The bill? $500,000. The NSW Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 imposes obligations on apartment owners to follow tougher repair requirements, such as appointing a licensed practitioner for repairs that cost more than $5000. But Owners Corporation Network executive [...]

Apartment repair laws create extra burden for owners2024-10-24T18:09:17+11:00

NSW flags further strata crackdown

2024-10-24T20:16:04+11:00

The NSW government says there is “more to come” on strata reforms after last week passing legislation to improve disclosure and toughen penalties. The legislation was introduced before Four Corners put the spotlight on the strata sector. The program followed an ABC report earlier in the year focused on NSW company Netstrata. “We have heard about strata managing agents charging excessive fees and commissions when buying strata insurance and using the [...]

NSW flags further strata crackdown2024-10-24T20:16:04+11:00
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