Hub backtracks on strata chairs’ phone numbers

Strata committee office-bearers can breathe a sigh of relief with news that NSW Services is backing away from their requirement for chairs and secretaries to make their phone numbers available to all the owners and residents in their block.

Instead, while the numbers will be accessed and stored under strict privacy protections, only office-bearers’ email addresses will be accessible to residents.

For strata schemes with their own websites, the generic contact email addresses rather than the private email addresses of the office bearers will be sufficient.

The change follows approaches by Strata Community Association NSW (strata managers) as well as coverage on this website and in the associated column in the Australian Financial Review, where concerns were raised that experienced committee members would quit rather than have their personal contact details available to all residents – tenants and owners alike.

Meanwhile, it has been rumoured that the Hub, due to be launched on July 1 this year, may be delayed due to problems with the IT system. Presumably switching it off and on again didn’t work.

Services NSW revealed their changes of plan regarding the availability of office-bearers’ contact details in an email to SCA (NSW).  

“The ability to reach strata schemes directly is an important step forward in improving communication with strata residents across NSW,” wrote a spokesperson.

“One of the prominent topics raised across the recent trial sessions involved the disclosure of the phone and email contact details of the owners corporation chairperson and secretary along with a perceived impact on voluntary participation in a strata committee.

“We have listened to your feedback and can confirm that now only the nominated email address for these roles will be provided to owners corporation members and residents in the scheme.

“Phone numbers must still be reported but will not be disclosed. Before being granted access, individuals requesting the information for their scheme must complete a proof of identity check and a privacy declaration.

“The NSW Government is bound by the Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 and takes the security and protection of individual information very seriously. The strata portal forms part of the NSW Government’s broader transformation of the regulation of residential apartment buildings where transparency and better outcomes for consumers are paramount.”

Find out all you need to know about reporting to the NSW Hub HERE.