I took the NSW Fair Trading strata training course this morning and I am relieved to say I passed with only one stumble and just a single query about the answers provided.

The strata committee compulsory training course, devised by Fair Trading and the Owners Corporation Network (OCN), is actually a fairly gentle introduction to the rules, regulations and best practices in strata.

And while each of the six section has a quiz – and you must get two out of three answers right at every stage to progress – it’s the hypothetical scenarios where the real value lies.

“This course was developed by NSW Fair Trading in collaboration with Owners Corporation Network (OCN),” the preamble says.

“Across 6 lessons, you’ll cover how strata works, the role of the strata committee, how decisions are made, your legal and ethical responsibilities, how strata finances and building maintenance are managed, and how to work through complaints and conflict.

“By the end of the course, you’ll be better equipped to carry out your role as a strata committee member and know when to seek further information or support.”

I’ll back that to the hilt. Some of the options on what to do overlap or are in slightly grey areas, but that’s what makes this interesting and just challenging enough.  The “obvious” answer isn’t always the right choice. But getting things wrong is the best way to reveal what misconceptions you may have been labouring under.

I won’t spoil it for you by telling you how I went slightly wrong but it was in a question about the right procedure to follow when your lift breaks down (and the correct sequence was, indeed, obvious).

The tone of the whole process is friendly and inclusive, with the clear intention not being to make you think you’re inadequate, but to make you feel empowered.

“First, let me thank you for putting your hand up to serve on your Strata Committee, says Angus Abadee, the NSW Strata and Property Services Commissioner in his welcome video. “Volunteering as a Strata Committee member is more than a title. It’s a responsibility that affects people’s homes, their well-being and property values.

“At the end of this training course, you will have a clearer understanding of your rights and responsibilities as a Strata Committee member. Tangible tips on how to address the common issues we are seeing in Strata, and best practice approaches for Strata Committees for running effective schemes.

“Again, thank you for stepping up and being part of the positive change to live standards, trust and capability in Strider. You are the backbone of your Strider community. Let’s give it the expertise and leadership that it deserves.”

I reckon this is a valuable exercise for anyone living in strata, whether they are on the committee or not. I’d make it compulsory for anyone thinking of buying or renting in strata too (yeah, I know, that ain’t gonna happen any time soon).

Mediation

My one quibble was right at the end where it says that the procedure when a resident has committed a by-law breach is to make a polite approach to let them know they’ve broken the rules, then follow that up with a Notice To Comply, then mediation, then seek orders at the Tribunal (NCAT).

In fact, seeking penalties when a Notice to Comply has been ignored is one of the few issues where the Tribunal doesn’t require you to have sought mediation before you apply. 

But Fair Trading would prefer you to do that anyway, even if it’s not strictly speaking required.

“You are right that there is a civil penalty regime in place for NCAT, but NCAT also has powers to order compensation, work be completed, change in committee membership etc. All of these things can be agreed to at mediation much more quickly and cheaply,” Commissioner Abadee told me today when I raised this issue.

“While some owners would like to see a penalty imposed, our view is that addressing the behaviour and stopping the breach is the better outcome, hence mediation being recommended.”

Repairs and maintenance

Just this week Fair Trading has been trumpeting the success of their mediation system, backed by its Strata Task Force.

“Applications to the free mediation service have increased 30 per cent from 2,760 to 3,591 during the last financial year,” they said in a press release this week, “with 76 per cent of all matters now completely resolved” and “applicant satisfaction rising to around 70 per cent between April and June 2026, while dissatisfaction fell from 21 per cent to a record low of 15 per cent.”

Repairs and maintenance issues remain the largest source of strata disputes, with applications increasing by 44 per cent across the past year and now accounting for around 40 per cent of all strata mediation applications.

So there’s still clearly some need for strata committee training.  You can log in to do yours HERE  but be warned, the hardest part of this may be signing up to the Strata Hub before you get started.

And if you are already in a dispute, you can apply for mediation on a strata issue HERE.