Strata Committee: Roles, Responsibilities & How It Works

When your agency manages units in a block or complex, the strata committee shapes many daily choices. Owners may ask who can approve repairs, use funds or act on a by-law breach. The answer depends on the scheme, its powers and the law in each state. I use a four-part check – decision, record, task and escalation – to separate committee authority from administration that can be delegated. The examples below show how that check changes between jurisdictions.

What Is a Strata Committee?

A strata committee is a small group elected to make routine decisions for a strata scheme. All lot owners belong to the scheme’s main governing body. In New South Wales, this is the owners corporation. The committee acts for that body within the powers given to it.

I use “strata committee” as an umbrella term in this guide. The formal name differs by location:

• New South Wales: Owners corporation
• Queensland: Committee of the body corporate
• Victoria: Owners corporation committee
• Australian Capital Territory: Executive committee
• Western Australia: Strata council, sometimes called the council of owners

For a plain refresher on the wider structure, my guide to strata covers the basics.

Strata is now a significant part of Australian housing. The Australasian Strata Insights 2024 report records approximately 367,970 strata and community schemes across Australia and estimates that between 4.14 million and 6.90 million people live in strata-titled properties. For agencies managing growing strata or mixed portfolios, that scale highlights the importance of clear governance and administrative systems.

How a Strata Committee Is Elected and Structured

Where a committee is required or chosen, owners generally elect its members at the annual general meeting, or AGM. Members are usually lot owners or eligible nominees and generally serve until the next AGM.

Committee size depends on the jurisdiction. In New South Wales, the owners corporation chooses up to nine members. In Victoria, a committee is required for an owners corporation with 13 or more lots and optional for smaller schemes. 

In Victoria, an owners corporation with 13 or more lots must elect a committee at each annual general meeting. A smaller owners corporation may choose whether to establish a committee. A Victorian committee generally has three to seven members, although the owners corporation may approve a committee of up to 12 members by ordinary resolution.

In Queensland, the Standard, Accommodation and Commercial Modules generally allow three to seven voting members. The Small Schemes Module allows up to two members, while the Specified Two-lot Schemes Module has no committee. 

Office-bearer roles also vary. NSW and most Queensland committees have a chairperson, secretary and treasurer. Queensland small schemes have a secretary and treasurer, while Victorian committees appoint a chairperson and secretary. One person may hold more than one role where the applicable law permits it.

Strata Committee Roles Explained

The descriptions below use NSW as the main example. Similar titles appear in other jurisdictions, but their statutory duties may differ.

The Chairperson

The chairperson runs the meetings. Their job is to check that a quorum is present and follow the agenda. They keep the discussion fair and orderly, and declare the result of each vote. A good chair makes sure every owner has a fair chance to be heard, then guides the group to a clear decision. In New South Wales, these duties are now written into the legislation rather than left to custom.

The Secretary

The secretary keeps the scheme organised. This role:

• Arranges meetings
• Prepares and sends out agendas and minutes
• Keeps the strata roll up to date
• Issues notices
• Handles general correspondence

In practice, the secretary is the administrative heart of the committee. Much of the paperwork that keeps a scheme compliant runs through this role.

The Treasurer

The treasurer looks after the money. This role keeps the accounting records and issues levy notices to owners. The treasurer helps prepare the budget and tracks what comes in and goes out. They also make sure funds are spent within the limits the owners have set. Because levies fund everything from insurance to repairs, clear financial records matter. If your owners ever ask why their body corporate fees have risen, the treasurer’s records hold the answer.

Ordinary Committee Members

Beyond the office bearers, a committee can include ordinary members. They attend meetings, vote on decisions and share the work. They do not hold a named office, but their votes carry the same weight. A committee with engaged ordinary members spreads the load and makes better decisions.

What Are the Responsibilities of a Strata Committee?

I separate legal responsibility from daily administration. The owners corporation or body corporate holds the scheme’s main legal duties. The committee handles routine matters only within the powers given to it by law, the scheme rules or decisions made by the owners.

Its work may include:

• Common property: Arranging approved repairs and upkeep for shared areas such as gardens, lifts, driveways and lobbies.
• Insurance: Preparing insurance renewals, claims and policy records for review.
• Budgets and levies: Monitoring spending against approved funds and following levy decisions made by the owners.
• By-laws: Acting on possible breaches where the law and scheme rules allow it.
• Records: Keeping minutes, financial records and the scheme roll current.
• Resident issues: Responding to routine concerns and referring major or restricted matters to the owners.

The committee’s exact powers differ by state and scheme type. In Queensland, for example, the committee cannot set or change contribution levies. That decision belongs to the body corporate at a general meeting.

How Strata Committee Meetings and Decisions Work

Committees do their work in meetings, and there are rules that keep those meetings fair. The rules for running a meeting in New South Wales are a useful guide to how this works in practice.

The following steps apply to a NSW strata committee meeting:

• Notice and Agenda: The secretary or strata managing agent must give notice of the committee meeting, together with the agenda, in accordance with the notice requirements set out in the NSW strata legislation.
• Quorum: For the meeting to go ahead, a quorum is needed, which in New South Wales means at least half the committee.
• No Quorum: If fewer than half of the eligible voting members are present, the committee cannot consider or vote on a motion.
• Decisions: These are made by a majority of the members present.
• Attendance: Owners who are not on the committee can attend, but they cannot speak or vote unless the committee allows it.

Keeping clean minutes of these decisions is part of what protects the scheme later.

The Limits of a Strata Committee’s Authority

A committee has authority only within the powers granted to it by the applicable legislation and by the scheme’s governing body. Matters that require a general meeting or a particular type of resolution cannot be decided by the committee alone. Depending on the jurisdiction and the circumstances, these may include:

• Major Spending: Large or unusual expenditure beyond the committee’s limit.
• By-Law Changes: Adding, removing, or amending the scheme’s rules.
• Major Building Works: Significant repairs, upgrades, or capital works.
• Legal Action: Starting or defending proceedings for the scheme.

Committee spending powers are also limited. In Queensland, committee expenditure is subject to statutory spending limits, and the funds generally need to be available within an approved budget before the committee can commit the expenditure. If additional funds are required, the body corporate may need to approve a budget adjustment or special levy at a general meeting. Queensland legislation also identifies certain restricted issues that cannot be decided by the committee alone.

Before acting, check whether the matter is restricted, exceeds the committee’s spending authority or must be decided at a general meeting.

How the Committee Works With a Strata Manager

Most committees are made up of volunteers with day jobs. Running a scheme creates a serious administrative load, so many owners corporations and bodies corporate engage a professional strata manager.

An owners corporation or body corporate may delegate certain functions to a strata manager, subject to the applicable state or territory legislation and the terms of the management agreement. The manager may carry out authorised functions, but powers reserved to the owners corporation, body corporate or general meeting cannot be delegated beyond what the legislation permits. Agencies should record delegated functions, approval requirements and review points in a documented delegation schedule.

The exact authority depends on the jurisdiction. In New South Wales, the owners corporation decides which permitted functions to delegate to the strata manager. In Queensland, a body corporate may authorise a body corporate manager to exercise certain committee or executive-member powers to the extent permitted by the applicable regulation module and the management agreement.

Administrative Work That Can Be Delegated 

Behind that work sits a heavy administrative load. Someone has to:

• Prepare agendas and minutes
• Issue notices on time
• Follow up and reconcile levies
• Process invoices
• Keep compliance records current
• Coordinate contractors

This is exactly the kind of back-office work my team supports agencies with every day. We do not replace the licensed manager or the committee. We work under their direction. We handle the commercial property management administration and trust accounting support that keeps a scheme running. That protects manager time for owner communication, escalations and portfolio decisions. The right strata management software helps, but software still needs a trained person behind it.

A PMVA Client Example 

In three decades in property management, I have seen that smooth operations depend on clear processes, not extra effort.

I worked with Phil Jones, Principal of Propel Realty in Brisbane. His team manages both residential and commercial property. Over 18 months, Phil moved more than 20 processes to his dedicated virtual assistant. Those processes covered more than 300 daily and monthly tasks.

Phil said, “PMVA’s systems, structure and support is beyond anything that I’ve experienced before in a company and so I’ve been thrilled and it certainly has met my expectations.” This is a broader property-management workflow example rather than a strata-specific result. In strata, each delegated process would also need a documented approval and escalation point. When the administration is handled well, the committee and manager can focus on work that needs their judgement.

My Four-Part Strata Delegation Check

Before my team takes on a strata task, I check four points:

1. Decision: Who has the legal power to decide?
2. Record: What motion, approval or instruction proves that decision?
3. Task: Which repeat admin steps can be assigned to the support team?
4. Escalation: When must the task return to the manager, committee or owners?

Choose one repeat task in your strata portfolio and map these four points. This often reveals unclear approvals, missing records or work that can be delegated.

How Strata Committee Rules Vary Across Australia

Strata law is set by each state and territory, so the committee name, governing Act and detailed rules depend on where the property is located. The table below gives a national comparison. For advice about a specific scheme, check the current legislation and guidance from the relevant state or territory regulator.

Because the rules differ, an agency working across state lines has to keep several rule books in mind at once. That is one more reason to build reliable systems, rather than relying on memory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Build Clearer Strata Systems

Clear roles, clean records and steady follow-up help a strata committee work well. I suggest mapping each task to the person who decides and the person who completes it. Then link the task to the record that proves approval. My team can handle repeat administration under your managers’ direction through our commercial strata management support. Talk to me about building a clearer system for your strata portfolio.