OCN Executive Director

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So far OCN Executive Director has created 181 blog entries.

Patrick’s apartment block has defects. He has nightmares of being buried beneath rubble

2023-07-13T13:42:39+10:00

11 JULY 2023 Every time IT manager Patrick Quintal leaves work to travel home, he feels sick with dread that his apartment building may no longer be standing. Each night when he goes to sleep, he dreams about waking up buried beneath rubble. The former chair of apartment peak body, the Owners Corporation Network, Stephen Goddard, says Vicinity has all the hallmarks of the Mascot Towers disaster. “At this stage it [...]

Patrick’s apartment block has defects. He has nightmares of being buried beneath rubble2023-07-13T13:42:39+10:00

How strata schemes are letting down Sydney’s apartment owners

2024-01-11T12:28:45+11:00

9 JULY 2023 When Eloise O’Connell joined the strata committee for her apartment in Liverpool, their first task was to raise the fees to prevent insolvency. “Whether your building can be well run is just by the sheer luck of the combination of people who put their hands forward,” O’Connell said. Head of the peak body for residential strata owners the Owners Corporation Network Karen Stiles said the strata management industry [...]

How strata schemes are letting down Sydney’s apartment owners2024-01-11T12:28:45+11:00

‘Dob in a developer’ scheme extended as builders forced to fix defects

2024-01-11T12:31:50+11:00

11 JUNE 2023 Builders and developers have been told to fix shonky work across 33 properties by NSW Building Commissioner David Chandler, as the government announces an extension to the building dispute resolution scheme. Project Intervene allows owners’ corporations to dob in serious defects in common areas of buildings, provided the buildings are four or more stories high and built less than six years ago, and have the commissioner negotiate with [...]

‘Dob in a developer’ scheme extended as builders forced to fix defects2024-01-11T12:31:50+11:00

Demand for more EV charging stations across Sydney suburbs

2023-05-16T09:58:53+10:00

12 APRIL 2023 Sydney’s North Shore and eastern suburbs apartment dwellers are stuck in a catch-22 where they can afford an electric vehicle but have nowhere at home to charge it. They say more education is needed for strata committees and while the Labor federal government is moving in the right direction, there is still much more that can be done to stop Australia being a “massive graveyard” for high-emission vehicles. [...]

Demand for more EV charging stations across Sydney suburbs2023-05-16T09:58:53+10:00

Now is the Perfect Time to Fix Broken Strata System

2023-05-24T14:16:11+10:00

6 MARCH 2023 The "opportunities" the new Minister has range from an out of control residential market to a stuttering strata complaints system, via an unprecedented housing crisis. One significant step forward the new government could take would be to support the Owners Corporation Network, which represents strata owners, with substantial guaranteed finance for the next four years, as it does with the Tenants' Union. Apartment owners are not the enemy [...]

Now is the Perfect Time to Fix Broken Strata System2023-05-24T14:16:11+10:00

Bold move to future-proof your nest egg and buy you freedom

2023-03-08T14:11:28+11:00

6 MARCH 2023 As more Australians chase a new home ownership dream, these tips show why a smaller abode could better protect your interests. Experts suggest anyone planning to buy off the plan should do all the relevant research. Check the developer and builder, visit past projects and even knock on doors to ask residents about their experience. “It’s better to pay a premium for an apartment from a reputable developer [...]

Bold move to future-proof your nest egg and buy you freedom2023-03-08T14:11:28+11:00

The Homes Where Residents Save Big On Energy Bills

2023-03-15T15:43:29+11:00

As energy costs soar across the nation, so do the number of apartment buildings offering bills of less than $500 a year, and more are on the horizon. They are the result of an increasing number of owners retrofitting their blocks with solar panels, batteries and alternative water heating systems and developers vying to be among the first to build new blocks with maximum energy savings. https://amp-smh-com-au.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/amp.smh.com.au/property/news/the-homes-where-residents-save-big-on-energy-bills-20230222-p5cmkx.html

The Homes Where Residents Save Big On Energy Bills2023-03-15T15:43:29+11:00

‘This is evolving quickly’: City of Sydney accelerates switch to electric vehicles

2023-05-24T14:15:09+10:00

13 FEBRUARY 2023 The City of Sydney will require all new apartment buildings to accommodate electric vehicle chargers in car spaces and look to retrofit existing residential blocks with charging stations under a plan to spur the uptake of the technology as the council pushes to reach net zero emissions by 2035. Owners Corporation Network chairman Fred Tuckwell said apartment owners racing to future-proof their blocks by installing EV chargers often [...]

‘This is evolving quickly’: City of Sydney accelerates switch to electric vehicles2023-05-24T14:15:09+10:00

David Chandler to Investigate Solutions for Mascot Towers

2023-05-24T14:07:58+10:00

13 FEBRUARY 2023 Owners Corporation Network Executive Officer Karen Stiles welcomed the announcement of the new panel, but said Mascot Tower owners had been let down by all levels of government for many years. “As the peak body representing apartment owners, the Owners Corporation Network welcomes Minister Dominello’s announcement that an expert panel led by David Chandler OAM will assess the best way forward with Mascot Towers,” Stiles said. “It’s not [...]

David Chandler to Investigate Solutions for Mascot Towers2023-05-24T14:07:58+10:00
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