A few points.
- Relocating rooms and installing a lift will require council approval. Do not under any circumstances accept a document from the builder that says this is a “complying development”.
- Council will need the strata committee’s approval before they issue the DA.
- It’s their renovation so they have to pay for the experts.
- It’s your (collective) building so you get to choose the experts.
- If they refuse to comply with these perfectly reasonable demands, you can refuse to pass the necessary by-laws and object to the renovation at council. Either way, it stands a lot less chance of being approved.
- Defer the agreement – do not under any circumstances allow this to be approved at your imminent meeting. That would just be insane.
Now that that’s out of the way, you should try to see the renovation as a major upgrade to the whole scheme. If it’s done properly and there are no noise issues from the lift and the relocated rooms (for instance) it’s an enhancement and should be encouraged.
But you need to get things right at the start so that the owners don’t do a “quick and dirty” upgrade, then sell up and leave you and the new owners to deal with the problems they have left behind.
You’re right that they haven’t left you enough time to decide and you should simply defer agreement to another general meeting to be set at a later date when you’ve had a chance to examine the proposals.
And you could contact our sponsors Strata Answers, who will give you sound advice on how best to proceed.