Many thanks Whale, kiwipaul, and Jimmy T for your considered and prompt advice. I have done as you suggest and passed all of your excellent advice on to our Secretary who will inform our Strata Manager. With regard to Whale’s query about a possible SBL enabling consent by the EC to such works, no, there is no SBL as you describe in place. (Although I’m just now wondering what implications, if any, Section 65A of the SSMA 1996 might have?).
https://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ssma1996242/s65a.html
We’ll see how the cookie crumbles as due process unfolds.
It all goes to show what complications and time-consuming trouble can be avoided if people just read their by-laws and abide by them. If in doubt, ask eh? How hard can that be?
Much obliged,
braveheart