I can see a lot of sense in what you are saying, although I don’t agree 100 percent.
If it was up to me, on most issues I’d tend to wait until there was a complaint and deal with it then.
The parking analogy is valid but it is one of the ‘hot’ strata issues that you might keep under a tight rein anyway whereas others – like the obligation to keep your windows clean – may be allowed to drift. In the parking case, in some places a gentle reminder – “your car has been parked here a lot and just reminding you that’s a breach of by-laws” – might be enough before the EC goes issuing notices to comply.
I also think that different strata plans work in different ways and that’s very much to do with the kind of people who live there. Some people only respond to the big stick while others are more receptive to the quiet word.
It’s not an exact science and there are times when ‘zero tolerance’ is the only option that works – I just wouldn’t make it the only option for everyone every time.