The strata committee is the engine room of every strata scheme. It makes decisions, instructs the strata manager, approves maintenance, oversees the budget, and handles the ongoing governance of the building between annual general meetings. If you want to have a real say in how your building is managed, the committee is where that happens. This guide explains who can join, how the election works, what the role involves, and what the law now requires of you.

What is the strata committee?

The strata committee is a group of elected lot owners and, in some cases, owner-nominated representatives who manage the scheme on behalf of all owners between general meetings. Under Section 36 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW), the committee has all the functions of the OC except those that the OC has reserved for itself to decide at a general meeting, or those that the Act specifically requires to be decided by the full OC.

In practical terms, the committee approves routine and non-routine maintenance, reviews financial statements, makes decisions about by-law enforcement, instructs the strata manager on day-to-day matters, and prepares motions for the AGM. When a strata manager has been appointed with delegated authority, much of the administrative work is handled by the manager under the committee's direction. The committee retains oversight and makes the decisions that require judgement: which contractor to engage, whether to pursue a by-law breach, whether to commission a report on building defects.

A decision of the strata committee has the same legal effect as a decision of the OC, unless the OC overrides it at a general meeting.

Audience	Relevance	Why it matters
Lot owners considering joining	Essential	This article explains the eligibility rules, how to nominate, and what you are taking on.
Current committee members	Important	The 2025 duties reforms changed your legal obligations from 1 July 2025. This article explains what is now required of you.
Owners who are not on the committee	Useful	Understanding how the committee works helps you engage with it effectively and know your rights.
Investors and tenant owners	Relevant	You do not need to live in the building to be on the committee. Investor owners can and should participate.

Who can join: eligibility rules

Section 31 of the Act sets out who is eligible for election or appointment to the strata committee. The categories are broader than many owners realise.

Who is eligible

• Sole owners: Any individual who is the sole owner of a lot in the scheme. Sole owners can nominate themselves.
• Company nominees: If a lot is owned by a corporation, the corporation's company nominee is eligible. The company can nominate its own nominee.
• Co-owners: Where a lot is jointly owned, any one of the co-owners is eligible, provided they are nominated by another co-owner of the same lot who is not themselves a candidate, or by any other owner who is not a candidate. Only one co-owner of the same lot may sit on the committee at the same time.
• Non-owners: An individual who does not own a lot in the scheme is eligible if they are nominated by a lot owner who is not themselves a committee member and is not seeking election as one. This allows owners to nominate, for example, a professional property manager, a family member, or anyone else they trust to represent their interests.

Who is not eligible

Section 32 of the Act lists specific categories of people who cannot be appointed or elected to the committee, unless they own a lot in the scheme:

• The building manager: The building manager for the scheme is ineligible. Note this refers to the building manager, not the strata managing agent. A strata manager who also happens to be a lot owner may be eligible in their capacity as an owner, but in practice this is rare and raises obvious conflict of interest concerns.
• Real estate agents: A real estate agent who carries out leasing functions for a lot in the scheme is ineligible. Again, this exclusion falls away if that person is also a lot owner.
• People connected with the original owner or building manager: A person who is connected (within the meaning of Section 7 of the Act) to either the original owner (developer) of the scheme, or to the building manager, is ineligible unless they disclose that connection at the meeting, before the election is held. This disclosure must be recorded in the minutes. If the connection is disclosed, the person may still stand. This rule is particularly relevant at first AGMs where developer-connected parties may be seeking committee positions.
• Unfinancial owners: An owner who had unpaid levies at the date the meeting notice was issued, and who did not pay those levies in full before the meeting, is not eligible for election. If you have outstanding levies, pay them before the meeting if you want to stand for the committee.
• Any person prescribed by regulations: The Regulation may prescribe additional categories. Check with your strata manager for the current position.

Note on NCAT removal: NCAT can make orders relating to the committee under Section 238 of the Act, which may include declaring a member's office vacant. A person removed from the committee by OC resolution under Section 35(1)(e) is barred from re-election for 12 months from the date of that resolution.

How the election works

Committee size

Before the election can proceed, the owners must first decide how many members the committee will have. This vote itself requires an ordinary resolution at the general meeting. The Act allows between 1 and 9 members for most schemes. For large schemes (100 lots or more), the committee must have at least 3 members. If no agreement is reached on the number, the election cannot proceed and the previous committee remains in place until the matter is resolved.

How to nominate

The AGM notice must include a call for nominations for the strata committee. You can nominate in two ways:

• In writing before the meeting: Submit your nomination form to the strata manager before the meeting notice is issued, and your name will be included in the notice sent to all owners. This is the preferred approach as it gives all owners advance notice of who is standing.
• Verbally at the meeting: Nominations can also be made at the meeting itself, immediately before the election is held. The chairperson must announce any new nominations received at the meeting before the vote proceeds.

In either case, the consent of the person being nominated is required. If you are self-nominating, your consent is implicit. If someone else is nominating you, they need your written consent in advance or your confirmation in person at the meeting.

The election

If the number of nominations is equal to or less than the number of positions determined, all nominees are elected without a vote. If there are more nominees than positions, a ballot is held. Each financial owner has one vote per lot they own. The election is conducted by simple majority. The developer's votes are reduced for committee elections at the first AGM if they own more than half the lots.

Note that committee elections cannot be decided by pre-meeting electronic vote. They must be decided at the meeting itself, whether in person or electronically via a live meeting platform.

Appointment between AGMs

Since the 2023 reforms, the full OC no longer needs to wait until the next AGM to appoint new committee members. If a vacancy arises during the year, a new member can be appointed by a resolution at an extraordinary general meeting. If all committee members resign or vacate their office, the strata manager or any owner can requisition an EGM to elect a new committee. NCAT also has the power to order a meeting if no committee is in place.

Officer roles: chairperson, secretary, and treasurer

After the AGM elects the committee, the committee itself meets to appoint three officers from among its members: the chairperson, the secretary, and the treasurer. These appointments do not require a general meeting vote. The committee makes them by resolution at a committee meeting.

Role	Core responsibilities under the Act
Chairperson	Presides at all general meetings and committee meetings. Must follow the agenda, maintain order, and rule on procedural matters. Has the casting vote if there is a tied committee vote. From 1 July 2025, the Act clarifies and formalises the chairperson's authority to run meetings and rule on procedural questions. Most chairperson functions are commonly delegated to the strata manager.
Secretary	Convenes and prepares notices for meetings. Prepares and distributes minutes within 14 days of each meeting. Maintains the strata roll. Handles day-to-day correspondence on behalf of the OC. Submits information to Strata Hub for annual reporting. Most secretarial functions are commonly delegated to the strata manager.
Treasurer	Issues levy notices to all owners. Receives and banks levy payments. Prepares financial statements. Manages the OC's accounts. Most treasurer functions are also commonly delegated to the strata manager.

Where a strata manager has been appointed with delegated authority for the roles of chairperson, secretary, and treasurer (which is standard for fully managed schemes), the committee members in those roles still hold the titles and bear the legal responsibilities, but the strata manager performs the day-to-day functions. The committee retains the right to exercise its own functions at any time.

If a committee member vacates an officer role, under Section 45 of the Act the OC can now remove an officer by ordinary resolution at a general meeting. This changed from special resolution to ordinary resolution under the 2025 reforms, commencing 2 March 2025.

Your duties and legal obligations from 1 July 2025

This is the area that has changed most significantly for committee members in recent years. The Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment Act 2025 inserted a substantially expanded set of statutory duties into Section 37 of the Act, which commenced 1 July 2025. These duties were always expected in practice, but they are now legally enforceable obligations with potential consequences for non-compliance.

Duty	What it means in practice
Act with honesty and fairness	Do not mislead fellow committee members or owners. Disclose relevant information. Do not favour one owner or group of owners over others. Be transparent about your reasoning when making decisions.
Act with due care and diligence	Take the role seriously. Read the papers before committee meetings. Engage with the strata manager's recommendations. Ask questions when you do not understand something. Do not make decisions carelessly or without adequate information.
Act in the best interests of the OC	Your primary obligation is to the owners corporation as a whole, not to any individual owner, faction, or personal interest. If a decision would benefit you personally at the expense of the scheme, you must declare that conflict and may need to abstain from the vote.
Comply with the Act and regulations	Committee decisions must be lawful. You cannot direct the strata manager to do something that would breach the Act. You cannot make decisions that the Act reserves for the full OC. If you are unsure whether a proposed course of action is lawful, ask.
Use information appropriately	Information you obtain as a committee member about individual owners (contact details, financial status, correspondence) must only be used for the purpose of carrying out committee functions. You cannot use it for personal purposes or share it with third parties without authority.
Do not unreasonably affect use and enjoyment of lots	Committee decisions must not unreasonably prevent or interfere with owners or occupants lawfully using their lot or the common property. This includes how you enforce by-laws and how you manage maintenance.
Declare conflicts of interest	Before any committee decision on a matter in which you have a direct or indirect pecuniary interest, you must disclose that interest. The disclosure must be recorded in the minutes. Depending on the nature of the conflict, you may be required to leave the room while the matter is discussed and voted on.
Complete mandatory training	Section 37(2) of the Act now requires every committee member to complete prescribed training. The training obligation is in force, but the NSW Government had not yet released the details of the training program as at the date of this article. Failure to complete the training once the program is established will result in automatic removal from the committee.

What the role involves in practice

For first-time committee members, the day-to-day reality of the role is often quite different from what they expect. Here is an honest picture of what you are taking on.

Committee meetings

The committee meets as often as necessary, typically monthly to quarterly depending on the size and complexity of the scheme. There is no minimum frequency set by the Act. Committee meetings can be held in person, by telephone, by videoconference, or via email circular resolution. A quorum requires a majority of committee members to be present. Each member has one vote. The chairperson has a casting vote in the event of a tie.

The strata manager usually prepares the agenda, distributes meeting papers, attends the meeting, and takes the minutes. Committee members review the papers, raise questions, and vote on the matters presented.

What you will typically vote on

• Approving maintenance and repair quotes above the committee's discretionary spending limit
• Instructing the strata manager to issue by-law notices to residents
• Approving minor renovation applications from lot owners
• Reviewing levy arrears and authorising recovery action
• Engaging consultants or experts (building inspectors, engineers, lawyers)
• Reviewing insurance renewal recommendations from the strata manager
• Deciding how to respond to owner complaints or disputes
• Preparing the agenda and budget for the AGM

Time commitment

For a well-managed scheme with a competent strata manager, the time commitment for most committee members is modest: reviewing meeting papers and attending a committee meeting once a month or once a quarter. For the secretary and chairperson there may be additional time required for correspondence and preparation. For schemes going through significant works, a defect rectification process, or governance challenges, the commitment can be considerably higher.

You do not need to be an expert

There is no formal qualification required to be a committee member. You do not need to be a lawyer, an accountant, a builder, or a property manager. What you do need is a willingness to engage with the issues, read the papers before meetings, ask questions when you are unsure, and act in the interests of all owners rather than just yourself. Your strata manager is there to provide technical and legislative guidance. Your role is to provide oversight, make decisions, and ensure the building is being managed in accordance with owners' expectations.

Leaving the committee: how membership ends

Under Section 35 of the Act, a committee member's appointment ends if:

• They cease to be eligible (for example, they sell their lot and are no longer an owner, or they become the building manager of the scheme)
• They are a non-owner or a company nominee, and the owner who nominated them sells their lot or gives written notice to the OC vacating the person's office
• They resign in writing
• At the end of the next general meeting at which a new strata committee is elected (this is the standard end-of-term mechanism — committee members serve until the next election)
• The OC passes a resolution declaring the member's office vacant — a person removed under this ground is barred from re-election for 12 months
• They fail to complete mandatory training once the training program is established and a non-compliance notice has been issued

Note on absences: under the committee's own meeting procedures in Schedule 2 of the Act, a committee may resolve to declare a member's position vacant if the member has been absent from meetings without reasonable excuse, but this results in the OC passing a resolution under Section 35(1)(e) above — it is not a separate automatic vacation ground.

A committee member who vacates office does not disqualify themselves from standing for election again at the next AGM, unless they were removed by NCAT or are otherwise ineligible under Section 32.

Frequently asked questions

I am a tenant, not an owner. Can I be on the committee?

Not as an elected committee member, but you may be eligible as a tenant representative. Under Section 33 of the Act, if tenants occupy at least half the lots in the scheme, they are entitled to nominate a tenant representative to sit on the committee. A tenant representative can attend committee meetings but cannot vote, cannot hold officer positions, and does not count toward quorum. The committee can also exclude the tenant representative from discussions about certain financial matters.

I own my lot through a company. Can my company be on the committee?

Yes, through a company nominee. A corporation that owns a lot must appoint an individual as its company nominee to exercise its rights, including the right to sit on the committee. The company nominee must be registered on the strata roll. The company can nominate its own company nominee for election to the committee.

I want to nominate my spouse / partner / adult child, who is not on the title. Can I do that?

Yes, with one important condition. Section 31(d) of the Act allows a lot owner to nominate any individual who does not own a lot in the scheme, provided the nominating owner is not themselves a current committee member and is not seeking election as one. So if you want to nominate your partner, you must not currently be on the committee and you must not be standing for election yourself at that meeting. If you satisfy both those conditions, your nominee can be elected without themselves being an owner. Only one nomination per lot applies, with the multi-lot exception described above.

What is a conflict of interest and what do I do if I have one?

A conflict of interest arises when you have a direct or indirect personal financial stake in a matter being decided by the committee. Common examples include voting on a contract with a company you are associated with, approving your own renovation application, or deciding whether to pursue a by-law breach that involves your own lot. The Act requires you to declare the conflict before the discussion begins. Your declaration must be recorded in the minutes. Depending on the severity of the conflict, the committee may ask you to leave the room while the matter is discussed and voted on. Your strata manager can advise you on how to handle specific situations.

Can the strata manager attend committee meetings?

Yes, and they typically do. The strata manager attends committee meetings in their capacity as the OC's appointed agent. They present reports, provide advice, take instructions, and record the minutes. They do not vote. If the strata manager has been delegated the functions of the chairperson, secretary, and treasurer, they will also chair the meeting and handle correspondence. Even in that case, elected committee members remain the decision-making body.

What happens if the committee makes a decision I disagree with?

As an owner, you have the right to raise any matter at a general meeting of the OC. A decision of the committee can be overridden by a resolution of the OC at a general meeting. You can also require a motion to be placed on the agenda of the next general meeting, either by writing to the secretary or, if you hold at least one-quarter of the aggregate unit entitlement with other owners, by requisitioning an extraordinary general meeting. If you believe the committee has acted improperly or in breach of its duties, you can apply to NCAT for orders.

I am thinking of joining. What should I do first?

Contact your strata manager and express your interest. They can tell you when the next AGM is, provide you with the nomination form, and answer any questions about the scheme's current governance situation. Reading the most recent AGM minutes and committee meeting minutes before the AGM is a good way to understand the issues the scheme is currently dealing with. Then nominate in writing before the meeting, or put your hand up at the AGM itself.