4 minute read
SCA Report
I am pleased to inform readers of Resort News that the COVID-19 Legislation expired (without further extension) on April 30.
This means a return to business as usual for the vast majority of Queensland industries, including strata. Combined with the recent re-opening of the West Australian border, it appears the federation has been restored with no turning back. But as much as ‘business as usual’ fills me with a sense of comfort and relief, I can’t help but reflect on all the positive changes we have seen evolve so rapidly, as a result of the pandemic. COVID-19 forced us all into very quick adaptations on how we do business, and it was incredible to witness just how agile and forward-thinking many industries and businesses were in developing new policies and processes to ensure business could continue as efficiently and effectively as possible. As we see the restrictions of the last two years start to fall away, our next challenge is to incorporate these positive changes in a post-pandemic society. Let’s not lose these amazing adaptations as we settle back into the ‘normal’ or is it the ‘new-normal’? way of doing things. Working from home arrangements are perhaps one of the most prevalent of these adaptations, with thousands of businesses across hundreds of industries incorporating these arrangements as part of an ongoing commitment to a permanent change in the way we do business. Similarly, some of the positive adaptations we have seen in the strata sector have resulted in a huge uptake in the positive engagement by unit owners in their home or investment property. More engaged lot owners lead to more enthusiastic committees, and I think all strata managers will agree that an active, enthused, and engaged committee leads to better outcomes in strata properties. Remote attendance at body corporate meetings and an enhanced utilisation of digital technology has substantially improved engagement from lot owners who may have previously been disinterested or apathetic in relation to body corporate matters. We have seen a significant increase in the number of lot owners attending their Annual General Meeting, as well as expressing interest in common property improvements or maintenance. On top of that, as people have spent more time in and around their homes, we’ve also seen the number of applications for renovations and for pets sky-rocket. Unfortunately, with this increased engagement and interaction from lot owners, there has also been an increase in reports of bullying and harassment, between lot owners, of committee members, and of body corporate service contractors such as caretakers and strata managers. With any major series of changes, such as that which we all experienced over the course of the pandemic, comes a level of uncertainty, and a heightened sense of anxiety. We, as individuals and as a society, can often lose a sense of control in many of the normal day-to-day aspects of life which we so easily took for granted… “What do you mean I can only leave my home for exercise?” “Isolate? In my home? By myself? For 7 days?!” “What do I need to do to find some toilet paper in this town?!” And while it’s normal to search for aspects of life that we feel we can exert some influence or control, being a bully is simply, never acceptable. The strata sector has shown incredible resilience throughout the pandemic, and I commend you for it. And while resilience is a key part of the solution, we need to do more to limit the prevalence and impact of bullying and harassment within strata. SCA (Qld) is committed to supporting our members in this respect and I encourage you as readers to join the good fight! As we advocate for change with government and other strata industry partners, I encourage you to stand against any form of bullying and harassment within your own strata scheme: don’t be afraid to remove rude participants from meetings, put protocols in place to limit the quantum or length of over-the-top correspondences, and stand together with those who may be the recipient of any such harassing behaviours. We can learn a lot from the retail sector who have led a strong campaign against bullying and unacceptable behaviour. By speaking often and publicly about it, we can learn to stand together in neither tolerating nor accepting this behaviour. On the back of all the changes (good and bad) that COVID-19, its restrictions, and its adaptations have brought, SCA (Qld) continues to push relentlessly for ongoing and positive reforms in this space. Our commitment is to ensure that any reforms to laws governing bodies corporate have increasing engagement by owners and occupiers as well as community autonomy at their heart. Community autonomy is not just a catch phrase, it makes strata living infinitely more attractive and will help expand the sector significantly. A housing crisis is beginning to form in many parts of our state. To help solve this problem, strata needs to be sufficiently attractive so that people can work, live and raise a family in an apartment. Promoting modernisation and flexibility in strata will continue to be an SCA (Qld) priority. As we have already seen, such adaptations result in greater community engagement, higher functioning committees, and better results for strata communities.
As we move together towards whatever-version-of- ‘normal’ this is, I encourage you to embrace this new season: certainty is good, but positive change is even better.
Kristi Kinast,
President, SCA (QLD)
© Engin Akyurt on Unsplash
