What a volunteer strata committee owes lot owners: duties, transparency, records and meetings

20 October 2026

Strata committees in Australia are made up of volunteers, but they still make decisions about other people's homes and money. The law in each state and territory sets out what committee members owe the owners they serve.

This guide focuses on New South Wales (NSW), where the rules sit in the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 and the Strata Schemes Management Regulation 2016, with guidance from NSW Fair Trading. A note on other states and territories follows.

Who the committee works for

In NSW, every owner in a strata scheme is automatically part of the owners corporation (OC). At each annual general meeting (AGM), the owners corporation elects a strata committee to make smaller, day-to-day decisions on its behalf. According to the NSW Government guide to who's who in strata:

the owners corporation decides what the committee can decide, and can overrule committee decisions
a committee can have one to nine members, with at least two in a two-lot scheme and at least three in a scheme of more than 100 lots
the committee cannot make decisions that need a unanimous or special resolution, or that must be made at a general meeting

The chairperson runs meetings, the secretary handles agendas, minutes, notices and the strata roll, and the treasurer keeps accounting records and issues levy notices.

The duties every committee member owes

NSW Fair Trading lists the obligations that apply to each committee member. When doing committee work, members must act honestly and fairly, with due care and diligence, and for the benefit of all owners. They must comply with strata laws, only use or disclose information they receive through the role when carrying out committee work or where the law allows, and not behave in a way that unreasonably affects another person's use or enjoyment of their lot or the common property (Who's who in strata; Guide to strata law changes).

Several of these duties started on 1 July 2025, along with duties for the chairperson to follow the agenda, maintain order and encourage fair, constructive and open discussion.

From 1 October 2026, committee members also have a duty to complete annual training through NSW Strata Hub within three months of appointment, unless an exemption applies (Strata committee training).

Conflicts of interest

A member with a financial interest in a matter must disclose it at a committee meeting as soon as possible, and the committee must record it. The member must then stay out of the deliberations and decision on that matter (How to run a strata meeting).

Transparency: what owners are entitled to see

NSW guidance sets out several concrete requirements (How to run a strata meeting):

Notice of committee meetings. Every owner must be notified at least three days before a strata committee meeting, with the date, time, place and agenda.
Minutes. Minutes of committee meetings must be given to all committee members and owners within seven days. In large schemes, minutes only need to go to owners who request a copy.
A say in committee decisions. Owners cannot vote at committee meetings, but an owner or group of owners holding more than one third of the unit entitlements can object in writing to a motion before the committee decides it. The matter can then go to the next general meeting.
Calling a general meeting. Owners holding at least 25% of the total unit entitlements can ask the secretary in writing to call a general meeting, which must be held within 14 days.

Records the committee must keep

According to NSW record keeping requirements:

the strata roll must be kept up to date, and records of changes kept for seven years
financial records, including receipts, invoices, bank statements and a record of levies, must be kept for seven years
communications, meeting documents, proxies, voting papers and signed contracts with strata managers and building managers must also be kept for seven years
records created from 11 June 2024 must be kept electronically
results of secret ballots must be recorded without voters' names, and secret ballots only need to be kept for 13 months

Owners can ask to inspect the strata roll, financial records and other records at any time by contacting the secretary or strata manager. The inspection fee for an owner is $31 (including GST, the Goods and Services Tax) for the first hour and $16 for each extra half hour.

Meetings: the annual cycle

The owners corporation must hold at least one AGM every year (How to run a strata meeting). Written notice must go to all owners at least 14 days before an AGM and at least seven days before other general meetings. The AGM notice must include, among other things, the key financial statements, insurance details and a copy of the 10-year capital works fund plan. After any general meeting, the secretary must give the minutes to all owners within seven days.

Strata Hub annual reporting

NSW strata schemes must report information on NSW Strata Hub within three months of each AGM and pay an administration fee of $3 per lot. Contact details for the secretary, chairperson and other contacts must be updated within 28 days of becoming aware of a change. Fines of up to $5,500 may apply for not reporting on time, and up to $2,200 for not correcting information. From 1 October 2026, two-lot schemes do not need to report.

When a committee falls short

The owners corporation can remove one or more committee members by a general resolution at a general meeting, and a person removed this way cannot rejoin the committee for 12 months. The NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) can also remove a committee or member who did not follow strata laws, did not exercise due care or diligence, or engaged in serious misconduct (Who's who in strata).

Other states and territories

Committee duties exist across Australia, but the details differ.

Victoria: owners corporations with 10 or more lots must elect a committee at each AGM. Members must act honestly and in good faith and with due care and diligence, and the committee must report at each AGM (Consumer Affairs Victoria).
Queensland: committee voting members must follow a code of conduct in Schedule 1A of the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997, covering honesty, fairness, confidentiality and conflicts of interest (Queensland legislation).
Western Australia: strata council members must act honestly, with loyalty and in good faith, and disclose conflicts of interest in writing (Landgate fact sheet).
South Australia: a management committee must keep minutes of its proceedings and cause proper accounting records to be kept (Legal Services Commission of South Australia Law Handbook).
Tasmania: a committee of management must keep proper minutes and make them available on request for inspection by any member of the body corporate (section 79, Strata Titles Act 1998).
Australian Capital Territory: executive committee members must comply with a code of conduct in Schedule 1 of the Unit Titles (Management) Act 2011, covering honesty, fairness, care and diligence, and conflicts of interest.
Northern Territory: the body corporate must keep proper records of meetings and make the paperwork available for owners to inspect (NT Government).

Frequently asked questions

Can owners attend strata committee meetings in NSW?

Owners must be told about committee meetings, but they cannot vote and can only speak if the committee allows it.

How quickly must committee meeting minutes be shared?

In NSW, minutes must be given to all committee members and owners within seven days.

How long must strata records be kept?

Most NSW strata records must be kept for seven years. Secret ballots only need to be kept for 13 months.

Can a committee member be removed?

Yes. In NSW, owners can remove a member by general resolution at a general meeting, and NCAT can also remove members.

Keeping it all in one place

StrataSync is a mobile-first app for strata schemes across Australia that keeps records, documents, meetings and repairs in one place that owners can see. It is designed to work alongside NSW Strata Hub, not replace it. To find out more, visit stratasync.au.

General information, not legal advice. Check the official sources below or get professional advice for your situation.

Sources

Blog