Green ceramics counter curse of disposable fashion
When a university academic handed a property developer a small grey tile recently, and said “this is your son’s old school uniform” it marked the confluence of a creative vision,…
In the thick of it over Airbnb register
It’s all a bit Thick of It (or Yes, Minister for older readers) but every so often our government ministers have to front up and answer questions to a Budget…
Forum: Cubby house in a strata scheme garden
When strata neighbours start getting snarky with each other, the issues are usually fairly clear-cut. It could be parking in the wrong place, leaving garbage outside your front door or…
Podcast: Virtual commutes are transports of delight
Are you over working from home? Does your formerly perfectly adequate apartment now seem tiny. Is your kitchen table too high and your laptop screen too small? Are you one…
Building managers dodge contract limits bullet
Stories about incompetent or dishonest strata building managers are the stuff of apartment dinner party one-upmanship. Or should that be one-downmanship? To be fair, most strata and facilities managers are…
First-timers grab $54k as grant wraps up
The race is on for first-home buyers to take advantage of the Federal Government’s HomeBuilder scheme and save up to $54,000 on the price of a new apartment. The scheme,…
Podcast: Dogs banned but NCAT says OK to cats
There’s a few differences in this week’s podcast from previous editions. For a start, Sue is on the other end of a Zoom call as she takes advantage of easing…
Forum: Land-grabbers hedge their bets
There’s an issue in the Forum this week that brings together some of the most damaging aspects of a strata scheme gone wrong. These are all too familiar elements. Often…
More pet turmoil as NCAT backs no-dogs by-law
The endless pets-in-apartments saga took another twist last week when a tribunal ruled that a no-dogs by-law was acceptable, even though last year the NSW Court of Appeal decreed that a…
Strata data hub promises a mine of information
A few years and a couple of Fair Trading ministers ago, we sat down with then then incumbent Victor Dominello who outlined his dream of a data base that would…
Managers targeted in Vic strata law upgrade
December may seem a long way off but for strata residents in Victoria, it will see a new dawn for their Owners Corporations as laws passed last month eventually come…
Forum: Do we have a right to check child safety locks
It’s already been several years since we were ordered to fit child safety locks to windows above the first floor in strata buildings. It’s an owners corp responsibility to “ensure”…