Unfortunately there is no requirement under the SSMA 2015 for notice to be provided to owners that an AGM is pending. It is the responsibility of the owners to submit Motions prior to the sending of the Agenda. Usually an owner can ascertain when an AGM may be called based on the date of the AGM immediately preceding it, however, this can be inexact.

It would be advisable to submit your Motion regarding Common Property repairs as soon as you have crafted it so it gets included in the next General Meeting. You can also obtain quotes for the repairs and include them within your Motion so as to hasten the approval process.

It may be advisable for you also to craft and submit a Motion that requires the OC to hold Committee Meetings (perhaps 2, 3, or 4 Committee meetings) throughout the year so as to promote transparency of decision making.

Schedule 1 of the SSMA 2015 states that:

7 Notice of general meetings other than first AGM

(1) This clause applies to general meetings other than the first annual general meeting of an owners corporation.

(2) Written notice of a meeting must, at least 7 days before the meeting, be given to each owner.

(3) Notice of a meeting must also be given, at least 7 days before the meeting, to each first mortgagee or covenant chargee on the strata roll if an item on the agenda is one in which the mortgagee or covenant chargee may cast a priority vote.

Note : A priority vote may be cast in the circumstances set out in clause 24.

(4) Nothing in this Part requires an owner to give notice of a meeting to himself or herself.

Can you get yourself onto the Committee at the AGM? It might be easier for you to change things from ‘within’.

Are you planning on attending the AGM?

Do your committee know how to use the internet? If they don’t can I suggest that you ask the Strata Manager to provide some photocopied “Strata Living – Get Involved” booklets (48 pages) from the site below which explains how strata works, and also Schedules 1 and 2 from the SSMA 2015: 

https://www.fairtrading.nsw.gov.au/pdfs/About_us/Publications/ft045.pdf

You can nominate yourself for the Committee at the AGM by going through the steps in [s5(5)] Schedule 1 SSMA 2015 outlined below:

5 Nomination of candidates for election prior to meeting

(1) The written notice of an annual general meeting is to include a call for nominations for members of the strata committee at least 7 days before the annual general meeting of an owners corporation.

(2) Any owner, or any person entitled to vote at a general meeting of an owners corporation, may nominate a person for election as a member of the strata committee.

(3) The nomination is to be made by written notice given to the secretary of the owners corporation or, in the case of the first annual general meeting, to the convenor of the meeting, that states the name of:

(a) the person nominated, and

(b) the person making the nomination and that the person nominated consents to the nomination.

(4) The secretary must include the nomination in the notice of the meeting at which the election is to take place. Notice of any subsequent nomination is to be given by the secretary at the meeting.

(5) A nomination may be made at any time before the election is held and may be made at the meeting.

(6) An owner or a person may make a nomination even if the owner or person cannot vote because the owner is an unfinancial owner.

You can request another General Meeting to vote on your Common Property repair Motions at any time if you can encourage 25% of your owners to support your request. If you are able to attend the General Meeting and speak at the General Meeting then you could perhaps gain your required support to call another General Meeting at that time. I would advise you to obtain quotes and submit your Motions as quickly as possible. You may be able to use the previously acquired quotes if they are still current.