We had a similar story
Got advice from a well known legal firm that said the same as JT.
The twist is that the motion was defeated by a handful of owners.
For a special resolution to pass only 75% of people who vote need to vote in the affirmative.
we all know that in most strata only a small percentage of owners vote, so in a 12 lot strata it could need only a handful of votes to pass the motion ( not 9 as some may think)
Just organise owners who are in favour of the idea to make sure they vote.