16 JULY 2023
The number of people applying for strata scheme mediation has surged by 45 per cent in five years as owners clash with owners corporations over building defects and repairs.
The average wait time for parties to meet with a mediator was three months, NSW Fair Trading confirmed, while it takes another four months on average for a resolution for those who escalated the issue to the NSW Civil Administrative Tribunal (NCAT).
Karen Stiles is head of the peak body for residential strata owners, the Owners Corporation Network, and said strata disputes were incredibly common and more needed to be done to address flailing strata schemes.
“Voluntary committees don’t always appreciate their responsibilities of duty to maintain and repair the building,” Stiles said. “It’s the greatest joint asset of their lives.
“The government has set up this ownership model and done nothing to support it.”
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