Early in my involvement with NSW Strata living around 19 years ago I read the Strata Living (Fair Trading NSW) publication which at the time made it very easy to be left with the impression that those who turned up at a meeting could do whatever they wanted, be it either the OC or EC. I don’t recall any of the six strata managers from four different firms since ever saying anything to contradict this notion. There was probably a general sense that dramatic alterations should be presented to the OC but without such details as an estimated cost.
I suspect Strata managers have a vested interest in not upsetting their main customers with inconvenient (and extra) work making details such as special resolutions and EGM’s (instead of a thought at the end of an AGM under “General Business” and many owners (especially investors) have been comfortable with this and neither knowing or caring what has been inflicted on tenants or other owners owing to ill thought out alterations e.g. bright lights shining into bedrooms instead of a carefully considered placement or door closers set to maximum impact with no consideration about adjustability or changing locks and/or fitting noise mitigating material.
Thus we have a form of constitutional democracy where the victim needs to pay over $140 to call the “police” (NTTT adjudicator) and has to do the detective work and the brief of evidence to a high standard; and even if victorious the likely best outcome is that they get to pay their share of whatever extra cost there is to the OC to undo the illegal work and replace it if considered necessary.
Some sort of registration for EC members where they have to sign an A4 page indicating that they understand the listed key requirements of strata law e.g. nature of Agenda’s and details required, Special resolutions, etc. Three quarters of an A4 page should cover the important points and this could be sent off to “Fair Trading” and filed. This seems and is intended as an easy minimum but a big step ahead of our current primitive tribal council/’big man”/avoid “red tape” strata culture.