The strata management agreement will list the fees for them representing the OC.
The rules of NCAT allow the OC to be represented by the strata manager (use of lawyers is not usually permitted).
Most committee members would not be comfortable representing the OC in court, and hence use the experience of the strata manager to do thst, even if to just sit in court.
Since you were the applicant, you would have been excluded from all correspondence from the strata manager to the OC in relation to this matter ( it’s usually referred to as the principle of legal privilege).
It’s also a lesson to “ cover your bases “ with the orders you request. You could have included an order that the costs of the OC are paid by all owners except you. If you don’t ask, you don’t get.