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The 2024 ACT Legislative Assembly elections
OCN (ACT) Activities, Membership and the ACT October 2024 Election
Are you concerned about cost of living and affordability of your home and the amenities you have as an apartment or townhouse owner or occupier? Then read on.
These are the OCN priorities as we approach the next ACT Election in October. We intend to hold a Public Forum prior to the election to amplify these priorities and how these address services to our members, owner occupiers or investors and their tenants.
Priority Requests of Candidates:
1. The rates and land taxes charged by ACT Government on strata properties were based on an alternative calculation method that was introduced in 2017. This excluded most properties from the lowest valuation rating tiers and resulted in large rate increases for most units, by as much as 120% in the first year. The rates for strata units should take account of reduced land usage, infrastructure and provision of amenities applicable to ‘vertical living precincts’ compared to those that exist in suburbs with similar populations. We need a proper review as promised by the current Government.
2. Support for environmental initiatives (solar, EV infrastructure, gas-to-electricity transition and building infrastructure for energy supply capacity). The support offered to a multi-unit complex should be equivalent to that provided to detached housing owners.
3. Building defects in residential apartment complexes, and government programs to address the problems. This affects home affordability since defects often need to be repaired at owner’s cost, with developers and builders escaping liability. We need better legislation and compliance management.
4. The maintenance cost inflicted on future owners and tenants when homes are built by developers and builders using inferior or ‘unfit for purpose’ products. We need better legislation and compliance management.
5. High cost of insurance for muti unit residential complexes, partly due to increased risk-based premiums but exacerbated by government charges, broker fees and strata manager fees that are based on a percentage of the premium. These extra fees, charges and commissions should be capped.
6. In town centre areas with a new high concentration of high-rise apartments security and personal safety is a serious concern and increased ACT policing should be provided. These high-rise areas are contributing more revenue to ACT revenue than large spread-out suburbs with similar populations and on top of this they are paying significant amounts for private security services. This is not fair.
7. Noise pollution is becoming an increasing problem in some town centre areas and research is showing serious health issues can occur. This needs to be considered and addressed.
8. Provision of education for office-bearing members of Owners Corporations’ Executive Committees to ensure better management and governance. This needs to be provided by an independent operator such as CIT, with mandatory education for the certification of strata managers and programs for Continuous Professional Development (CPD).
9. On-going strata legislation reform to cover problem issues identified. These could include:
1. Establishing a guide or better regulation to ensure the short-term rental market does not have negative impacts on longer term residents.
2. Avoiding developer control over meetings by excluding developer held proxies granted by multiple owners.
3. Support for environment related initiatives by requiring ownership of all infrastructure to be vested in the Owner’s Corporation as common property - disallowing 3rd party ownership by parties such as embedded network providers.
10. Appoint a Strata Commissioner to address all things related to strata living, and dedicate a ministerial portfolio backed by the support of a government unit.
11. Compliance management of legislation needs to be enforceable through a suitable organisation – it could be a function of Strata Commissioner’s organisation.
12. Establishment of a fund to cover support for emergency defect properties and the owners.
OCN will survey all candidates seeking their commitment on the issues affecting unit and townhouse owners.
We will keep you posted on the candidates deserving of your vote.
Developing Precinct organisations to strengthen the voices of unit and townhouse owners
Owners corporations in Civic, Belconnen and the Kingston Foreshore have come together to develop organisations to lobby for their needs and interests and share information.
If OCs in the other obvious areas of large numbers of owners corporations, Woden, Gungahlin and Tuggeranong, are interested in forming similar organisations to further common interests, Owners Corporation Network ACT is more than willing to assist.