What Are the Different Office Bearer Positions on a Strata Committee?
Your strata committee is responsible for the smooth day-to-day running of your strata scheme. But within that committee, there are a few key roles that must be filled. This article explains the three main office bearer roles in a strata committee and how you can streamline operations even further.
How are office bearer roles determined?
In NSW, office bearer roles do not need to be voted upon at a General Meeting. The strata committee decides for themselves who will fill the three major office bearer roles, and how they make this decision is up to them.
However, to be on the strata committee, you do need to be elected at a General Meeting. The committee can change each year. So, when your General Meeting rolls around each year, you’ll need to nominate for the committee, even if you’ve held a role in the previous year. All owners have the right to nominate themselves or one other person for each property they own within the scheme.
Let’s take a look at the main office bearer roles within a strata committee.
Chairperson
The Chairperson of your strata committee is in charge of your meetings. While much of the preparation work is already done in terms of setting agendas and scheduling meetings, the Chairperson runs the meeting. Essentially, this is to ensure meetings go smoothly. During a General or Special Meeting, your Chairperson follows the agreed agenda, ensuring points are addressed quickly and efficiently. Also, they must ensure fairness in all discussions and decisions.
Secretary
The role of secretary of a strata committee one is a busy one, to say the least. The secretary arranges meetings, including putting together agendas and taking minutes. They’re also responsible for issuing notices and performing a range of other administrative tasks. Correspondence and communicating with owners is a big part of the role, so ideally, the secretary should be someone with excellent organisational skills.
Treasurer
Your strata committee treasurer is not unlike a chief financial officer. They’re in charge of keeping accounting records, preparing financial statements and managing the money paid to the Owners Corporation. They also notify owners of their strata fee requirements and issue fee notices. This is a complex role and is best suited to somebody with a financial background or at least experience in a similar role.
What about the strata manager?
A strata manager is not part of your strata committee. They can be appointed with a majority vote at a General Meeting. The main benefit of appointing a strata manager like More Than Strata is to ease the burden on the committee.
Many of the roles performed by the Chairperson, Secretary and Treasurer can be delegated to the strata manager. Many schemes choose to appoint an independent strata manager because it provides a single point of contact, ensures all tasks are completed by someone with expertise, and also removes any perception of bias. Of course not all strata managers are equal, appointing one with extensive experience who offers sound advice will save the Owners Corporation in the long run.
Want to streamline your strata scheme?
More Than Strata has the expertise to fulfil all roles on your strata committee. With one central point of contact to handle all strata matters, we work tirelessly to ensure the success of your strata scheme. We can take care of everything from organising meetings and scheme administration to financial tasks. Contact More Than Strata today to find out how we can help.
