HAVE YOUR SAY ON STRATA AND COMMUNITY LAWS

Friday, 23 December 2011 10:17

Media Releases - Kevin Anderson Media Release

21 December 2011

HAVE YOUR SAY ON STRATA AND COMMUNITY LAWS

Member for Tamworth Kevin Anderson today encouraged everyone who owns, lives in or is involved in the management of a strata or community scheme to have their say on strata and community laws during a three month online consultation project hosted by public policy think tank Global Access Partners (GAP).

Mr Anderson welcomed the GAP initiative, which will provide a valuable source of information for the Government's planned review of strata and community title laws in 2012.

“There is a general view in the community, and one accepted by the government, that the current strata laws need to be reformed to more effectively meet the diverse needs of today’s owners and residents,” he said.

“These laws were designed primarily for small, self-managed blocks of flats. However today’s strata and community schemes now include townhouses, dual occupancies, offices, retirement villages, city high rises and mixed-use, recreational and tourism-focused developments.”

Mr Anderson said the world’s first strata title law commenced in NSW on 1 July 1961 and since this time, strata has developed into the fastest growing form of residential property ownership.

“More than two million people now live in over 70,000 strata and 1500 community schemes in NSW and within 20 years, half the state’s population is expected to be living in strata and community schemes,” he said.

“The current strata laws no longer effectively support owners in the day to day management of their scheme or adequately address issues such as how common property is defined, the accountability of executive committees, short term rentals and overcrowding and enforcement of by-laws on parking and noise.

“The GAP consultation will give all strata and community scheme stakeholders an opportunity to share their experiences, raise specific issues or concerns and suggest possible solutions.

“These issues can be quite complex and the government is keen to hear from all strata and community scheme owners and residents and anyone else affected by the laws,” Mr Anderson said.

The online consultation period will run from 15 December 2011 to 29 February 2012.

Comments can be made directly online on the GAP open forum website at www.openforum.com.au or by following the link from either the NSW Fair Trading website at www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au or the Land and Property Information website at www.lpi.nsw.gov.au.

ENDS