Bluey – The OC can remove almost any decision making power from the Committee and place it within the decision making powers of the OC. See SSMA 2015 [s36(3)(b)].
If you believe that the OC is better placed to make certain decisions then you can submit a Motion on this issue for consideration at a general meeting. These issues (in QLD at least) are then generally known as “Restricted Issues” for the Committee.
As an example the wording could be:
“That the Owners Corporation make it a restricted issue under SSMA 2015 to authorise:
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
so that such matters are reserved for decision by ordinary resolution of the Owners Corporation at a general meeting.”
I am not sure how these resolutions are recorded in NSW but in Qld the Body Corporate record the restricted issue in the register of reserved issues in accordance with section 201 of the Body Corporate and Community Management (Standard Module) Regulation 2008.
The OC can restrict the Committee from making decisions on all manner of things.
This will probably mean that more general meetings are held in a 12 month period, which may be more expensive in the long run, but that may be a trade-off if you believe that your Committee are not acting appropriately.
http://classic.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/ssma2015242/s36.html