Ace Body Corporate Management North Shore

09/06/2026

A committee member once asked us: "Can we stop an owner from voting if they haven't paid their levies?"

The answer is yes, and it can catch committees completely off guard.

Under Schedule 1 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, an owner in arrears is considered unfinancial and is generally not entitled to vote. Their voting rights are restored once the full amount owing is paid - so long as this happens before the meeting begins.

Here's where it gets complicated.

An owner can pay their outstanding levies, interest included, the morning of the AGM and walk in fully entitled to vote. That's completely lawful. And if no one has checked the ledger beforehand, the committee may not even realise it's happened.

If voting eligibility is assessed incorrectly, whether by excluding an owner who was entitled to vote or allowing a vote from someone who was not entitled, the validity of the resolution may be open to challenge. This is why committees should confirm voting status before the meeting.

Payment plans matter too, but perhaps not in the way most people assume. Being on a payment plan doesn't restore voting rights. An owner remains unfinancial until their full balance is cleared.

None of this is complicated once you know it. But it's the kind of thing that tends to surface mid-meeting, in front of everyone, at the worst possible moment.

Good governance isn't just about making decisions. It's about making sure the decisions can stand up when they're tested.

20/05/2026

Our team attended the SCA Strata Law Forum yesterday and came away with some thoughts worth sharing.

As strata managers, we're close to these pressures every day. This is her attempt to zoom out and look at where it's all heading.

We're solving for supply. We haven't solved for sustainability.

Something I've been thinking about since the Strata Community Association Australasia Forum yesterday. NSW is now requiring owners corporations to properly maintain and repair common property in a timely way. At the same time, it's strengthening hardship protections for owners who can't keep up with...

06/05/2026

EV charging in strata buildings used to be a "nice to have."

Interesting for some owners. Easy for committees to defer. Something to think about later.

Later is arriving faster than most buildings are ready for.

The proposed NSW Right to Charge reforms are worth paying attention to, not just as EV policy, but as a signal of where things are heading. The government appears to be shifting how it views EV charging, less as optional sustainability infrastructure and more as expected residential utility access.

We've seen this before.

Fifteen years ago, high-speed internet in apartments was a bonus feature. Some buildings had it, some didn't. Committees rarely thought about it strategically. Today, a building with poor internet infrastructure feels outdated almost immediately. Buyers notice. Tenants notice. Values notice.

EV readiness is on the same path.

What makes the timing particularly interesting is that many of the NSW grant and co-funding programs that helped early adopters get started are no longer available. Yet the legal and market pressure around EV access keeps growing.

And here's where the real strata challenge sits.

The question for most buildings is no longer "should we allow EV chargers?" For many, the more important question is "what happens when multiple owners want access at the same time?"

That conversation pulls in switchboard capacity, load management systems, backbone infrastructure, metering, embedded network decisions, fire compliance and long-term capital planning.

EV charging has quietly become a building infrastructure strategy, not a resident request.

The buildings that started planning early will have more flexibility, less retrofit stress, and more control over how this rolls out. The buildings still treating it as a future problem may find themselves making urgent infrastructure decisions under pressure, without funding support, and with fewer practical options on the table.

This is exactly the kind of conversation we're having with our buildings right now. Because getting ahead of it is always better than catching up to it.

If your building hasn't started thinking about this yet, it's a good time to start. We're happy to help you work through where your building actually stands.

05/05/2026

Children are not the problem in strata buildings.

The way those buildings were designed, and the way we communicate expectations inside them, often is.

Our latest article looks at two of the most common flashpoints we see in residential strata: children using driveways as play spaces, and noise complaints about kids just being kids. And why the answer is rarely more enforcement.

If you work in strata, manage a building, or sit on a committee, this one is worth a read. And if you are a parent living in an apartment, we think this one will resonate with you too.

Originally shared by our director Tiffany Wylder: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/children-arent-problem-strata-design-tiffany-wylder-39lrc

Most conversations about kids in strata buildings start in the wrong place. A complaint comes in.

14/04/2026

We recently worked with a building on an electrical upgrade.

The scope was clear, and an engineering consultant had been engaged to guide the design and specifications.

As the project progressed, there were ongoing questions raised around the proposed approach.
Some of those came from within the building itself, based on prior industry experience.

The conversations were detailed.
Drawings were reviewed more than once.
The engineer attended multiple meetings to walk through the scope.

Each step was reasonable.

But taken together, it slowed the project down.

By the time the works were ready to proceed, more than 18 months had passed.

The cost had shifted considerably.

Same upgrade.
Different market conditions.

What this brought into focus for the committee was something we see often.

Owners want a clear understanding before committing to significant works.
That’s appropriate, particularly on technical projects.

At the same time, projects don’t sit still.

Costs move.
Availability changes.
And the longer something stays in review, the more those external factors come into play.

Good strata management sits in that tension.

Giving owners enough clarity to make confident decisions, while recognising when a project has been explored thoroughly enough to move forward.

Because timing isn’t separate from the decision.

It’s part of it.

07/04/2026

A change in the latest stage of NSW strata law reforms (effective 1 April) is easy to underestimate, but it has long-term consequences for how buildings operate.

From 1 April 2026, embedded networks must be disclosed in Section 184 certificates. This is part of a broader package of embedded network reforms that began rolling out from July 2025, including a new three-year cap on exclusive supply contracts, which replaced arrangements that could previously run for up to ten years.

At face value, the S184 update sounds like a minor admin requirement, but when you take it in context there is more to consider.

Embedded networks govern how a building receives and distributes services; electricity, EV charging, internet, water, gas. More importantly, they determine whether individual owners have any real choice in those services, and at what cost.

Once an embedded network is in place, changing it isn't simple. It touches infrastructure, contracts, and in many cases, the ability for owners to switch providers without additional cost or works. The three-year contract cap helps, but it doesn't undo decisions that were already baked into the building's infrastructure design.

We're seeing this tension emerge most clearly in EV projects. Decisions made early around load management and supply models are shaping what's possible for the building years down the track, long after the original committee has moved on.

This isn't just a compliance exercise. It's a long-term governance decision — one that affects future owners, not just current ones.

If you're involved in planning any energy or EV-related upgrades, it's worth slowing down and looking closely at how the building is being structured, not just what's being installed.

Interested to hear how others are approaching embedded networks in new or upgraded schemes.

19/03/2026

Sometimes it takes a single renovation application for a larger issue to come to light.

We’ve seen a couple of cases where a routine DA uncovered a gap in a building’s fire compliance.

In NSW, an Annual Fire Safety Statement is required when a building has a Fire Safety Schedule, setting out the essential fire safety measures that must be inspected and certified each year.

The complication is that not every building has a clear or current schedule on record.

Older buildings, in particular, can sit in a grey area —
with fire safety measures in place, but no formal schedule or incomplete documentation from earlier approvals.

Everything appears fine.

Until something triggers a closer look.

Sometimes it’s a DA application.
Sometimes a council review.
Sometimes a request for historical records that don’t quite line up.

When it’s identified, it moves quickly.

A Fire Safety Schedule may need to be created.

Inspections are carried out. And any gaps between what exists and what’s required need to be addressed.

In some cases, council may issue a Fire Order, requiring the building to bring its fire safety measures into compliance within a set timeframe.

What started as a single lot issue can become a building-wide process.

And depending on what’s uncovered, the cost of compliance works can run well into six figures.

For committees, this isn’t always on the radar, particularly if nothing has prompted a review.

But it’s something worth being aware of:
• when planning future capital works
• when reviewing building records
• or when carrying out due diligence before purchasing

It’s not something that comes up often.
But when it does, it’s rarely small.

10/03/2026

Strata Questions Owners Ask

A resident is running a home business and telling others not to use the shared courtyard. Can they actually do that?

Short answer: usually no.

Working from home is now very common in strata buildings and most home offices operate quietly without affecting anyone else.

But running a business from a lot doesn’t give an owner the right to control how shared spaces are used.

Under NSW strata legislation, home businesses are generally permitted as long as they remain low impact. In practical terms that usually means no regular staff or clients attending the lot, no signage, and no change to the residential nature of the building.

Where committees may need to step in is when behaviour connected to the business begins affecting other residents.

For example:
• discouraging people from using common areas
• aggressive or obstructive behaviour
• attempts to control how shared spaces are used

Common property belongs to everyone in the scheme. No individual owner can restrict others from reasonably using those areas.

When situations like this arise, committees usually start with practical steps:
• keeping a record of incidents
• reminding residents about respectful use of shared areas
• enforcing relevant by-laws if necessary

Strata living always comes back to the same balance, private use of a lot shouldn’t interfere with other residents’ reasonable enjoyment of the building.

05/03/2026

E-bike and e-scooter safety laws are now in force in NSW — what this means for strata buildings.

Around Christmas I shared an update about the incoming NSW safety standards for lithium-ion powered e-mobility devices.

As of 1 February 2026, those regulations are now fully in force.

Thanks to JS Mueller & Co Lawyers for circulating a helpful summary of the final implementation.

The framework applies to e-bikes, e-scooters, e-skateboards and hoverboards and was introduced in response to the growing number of fires linked to substandard lithium-ion batteries.

From February:

• Devices and standalone batteries sold in NSW must now be tested by an accredited laboratory
• Products must display a valid electrical safety approval mark
• Retailers must provide clear safety information covering charging, storage and disposal

Retailers can now face penalties of up to $825,000 for selling uncertified devices.

For strata communities, this is a meaningful shift.

Lithium-ion battery incidents behave very differently to traditional fires. In higher-density buildings, a single charging device can quickly become a building-wide risk.

The new standards give Owners Corporations a clearer reference point when thinking about:

• where devices are charged
• storage on common property
• ensuring devices meet certification standards
• managing insurance and risk exposure

Even where devices are compliant, charging behaviour still matters. Fire & Rescue NSW continues to recommend avoiding unattended charging and using manufacturer-approved chargers only.

E-mobility devices are becoming a normal part of life in our buildings. The task for strata communities is making sure that convenience sits alongside sensible risk management.

Are buildings starting to review their by-laws or policies in response to the new standards?

25/02/2026

Insurance Premiums Are Rising.
Here’s What’s Driving It — And Where Committees Still Have Influence.

Strata insurance costs have increased significantly over the past few years.

Climate events.
Construction inflation.
Higher reinsurance costs.

These are market-wide pressures — and understandably frustrating for owners.

No individual building can control those forces.

But premiums aren’t determined by the market alone.

Insurers also assess how each building manages risk over time. That’s where committees still have influence.

When evaluating a scheme, insurers consider:

• Claims frequency — even smaller repeated claims
• Maintenance history and overall building condition
• Known or unresolved defects
• Water ingress exposure
• Fire safety compliance
• Accuracy of replacement valuations

Two similar buildings can receive different outcomes.

Often the difference isn’t luck.
It’s consistency.

Deferred maintenance, repeated minor claims, or underfunded capital planning can gradually increase a building’s risk profile.

Early intervention, steady maintenance practices, and realistic planning signal something else — that the building is actively and responsibly managed.

We’re seeing more insurers reward disciplined schemes over time.

This doesn’t eliminate premium pressure.

But it does influence where a scheme sits within the broader market.

Insurance is no longer just an annual renewal exercise.
It reflects the governance and maintenance culture of the building.

Our role is to help committees understand both the external pressures and the internal levers — so decisions feel informed rather than reactive.

Premium cycles may continue.

But strong governance, proactive maintenance, and clear planning remain the most reliable tools available.

And we’re having those conversations with committees every day.