› Flat Chat Strata Forum › Strata Committees › Miscreant Owner Submitted motion disputing validity of Standing Orders › Current Page
You’d be in a better position if the standing orders had been adopted as a by-law. Perhaps you should put that on the agenda for the next meeting.
If I were your strata manager, I would say this:
The standing orders are merely a framework to allow for the efficient running of meetings. As a concept they are widely accepted across the world, for businesses, clubs, societies and political institutions.
The standing orders for this strata scheme have been designed based on those in place elsewhere, including other strata schemes in this and other states.
A need to enhance them was perceived due to past disruptive behaviour by owners and non-owners who either didn’t understand that there has to be a reasonable basis for civilised discussion, or chose to ignore it.
The Strata Scheme Management Act 2015 does not mention who may or may not speak at meetings.
It is left to the chair of the committee to decide how we should proceed and in this scheme, it has been decided that these standing orders provide a structure based on fairness, transparency and common sense.
These standing orders provide a clear set of sensible ground rules that allow all owners OR their representatives, to participate without fear or favour.
They specifically preclude owners and their proxies from working together to multiply their influence over the meeting, by haranguing, harassing or bullying other owners who wish to speak.
Technically speaking, they would also permit only one co-owner to speak at a time (since the other has to provide a proxy vote). In this way, you can see that these standing orders are neither discriminatory nor oppressive.
Finally I would invite the complaining owner to explain what it is that she wants to do that the standing orders don’t permit.
Hope this helps