ARAMA REPORT
United we stand, divided we fight! For everyone involved in the business of Management and Letting Rights (MLR) an important maxim is to concentrate on the things that unite us, rather than those that divide us. Because most ARAMA members work and live on-site in close proximity, they are often the target of people’s frustrations, and it can be a very stressful environment. Resident managers are there to create harmony, and not disharmony, but neighbourhood battles can be so toxic that Queensland had to introduce the Neighbourhood Disputes (Dividing Fences and Trees) Act 2011. This was designed to overcome the increasing prevalence of neighbours in the suburbs bickering across their side of the fence. When residents are living cheek by jowl and on top of each other like they do in strata, problems and disputes are amplified.
Advocacy is a slow process, not a sledgehammer solution Trevor Rawnsley, CEO, ARAMA
some of them feel under so much pressure that they simply cannot cope anymore. Often this is a result of dealing with neighbourhood disputes inflicted by people with an undiagnosed condition who are also affected by the pressures of modernday life in and around strata. A harmonious working relationship is the goal for most people in business especially the resident manager but even more so when some of our managers are available 24/7 and surrounded by conflict. The art of diplomacy is a crucial skill
that resident managers must develop, and it’s part of the advocacy work that ARAMA performs every single day on behalf of its members. Advocacy is a slow process, not a sledgehammer solution. ARAMA is not a highly politicised association, and our members support candidates across the political spectrum. But politicians are lawmakers and if we want laws to change then we need to include politicians in our advocacy work. A good example of that was at the ARAMA 30th Anniversary Celebration Dinner which was held on the Gold Coast in May
Stresses are further magnified by those who would do harm to the business model of management rights, whether they be outside real estate agents trying to poach from the letting pool, lawyers trying to create disputes with an aim to resolving them at a high price, or hostile committee members opposed to longterm management agreements and not understanding the benefits that they bring. ARAMA provides the A-MAP mental health assistance program for members because
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ARAMA 30th Anniversary Celebration Dinner
INDUSTRY
to celebrate ARAMA’S 30th birthday. We had politicians from the Queensland Opposition there, and we invited people from the Queensland Government though they declined to attend. It doesn’t’ really matter who is in government because our advocacy work is undertaken right across the political spectrum. The process is all about making connections and using logical argument, and it doesn’t matter if the team in power is red or blue, green or teal, advocacy remains the same and the good governments are the ones who understand that good governance comes from consulting with industry even if the conversations are uncomfortable. My experience in the decade and more that I've been advocating for ARAMA is that we achieve good outcomes because we are responsible, we are trusted, and we are listened to. We don’t have to win every argument and we don't threaten. There are other groups that pressure politicians in an effort to obtain their desired outcome. They threaten to run media campaigns against the government, and they warn politicians that they will get their members ResortNews | July 2022
