Must-see TV – strata’s dark Underbelly exposed

Cancel your plans for Monday evening.  ABC TV’s Four Corners is ripping the lid off the whole sordid business of strata exploitation in Australia and, if the promo for the show is anything to go by, this is more like Underbelly than any previous TV doco or even drama about apartment living.

Fronted by Linton Besser, the reporter whose investigations into Netstrata led to the resignation of Stephen Brell as President of Strata Community Australia (NSW), The Strata Trap promises to expose “the graft, and greed of the [strata] industry.”

Here’s what the Press release from the ABC says:

More than 2.5 million Australians now live in an apartment, over the next decade, that number is set to soar. 

​And while governments are sweeping away planning controls to boost the number of apartments in our capital cities, the multibillion-dollar strata industry – supposed to protect homeowners’ interests – is cashing in.  

​This week, investigative reporter Linton Besser exposes the graft, and greed of the [strata] industry, and reveals that most states have turned a blind eye to the problems.

​After thousands of Australians wrote to the ABC with shocking stories of financial abuse, The Strata Trap uncovers the unethical practices that have drained untold sums of money from apartment owners’ pockets. 

​Besser and the Four Corners team investigate key industry players – from neighbourhood cowboys to multinational corporations.  

​This program raises tough questions about the dearth of government intervention and lack of meaningful consumer protection. 

Here’s the link to the promo again.  And if you do miss the show on Monday night, you can always catch up with it on ABC iView. ​

The Strata Trap reported by Linton Besser goes to air on Monday 9 September at 8.30pm on ABC TV and ABC iview. See more at abc.net.au/news and on ABC News social media platforms.