Why Strata Committees Avoid Difficult Decisions
16 March 2026 Strata committees rarely intend to make poor decisions. In most cases the people around the table genuinely care about their building and want to see it well maintained and financially stable. But difficult decisions are often the ones that get postponed. I have sat in meetings where the same agenda item appears […]
The Strata Industry Is Growing, But Running a Strata Business Is Getting Harder
9 March 2026 Over the weekend I spent some time reading Macquarie Group‘s latest strata industry benchmarking report. As always, it’s a useful document. The study draws on responses from more than 200 strata businesses managing around 1.4 million lots across Australia, which provides a fairly broad view of how the industry is performing. At […]
Why Good Governance Still Fails in Capable Rooms
4 February 2026 This blog applies to strata committees operating under a standard committee structure: decisions made collectively, professional advice available, and responsibility formally shared across elected members. In this setting, I repeatedly see the same failure pattern. Decisions stall or produce weak outcomes even when committee members are engaged, informed, and acting in good […]
Interest Rates Rise: What It Means for Strata Communities
3 February 2026 The Reserve Bank has increased the cash rate by 25 basis points following higher-than-expected inflation data. While interest rate movements are often discussed in the context of mortgages, their impact extends well beyond individual households. Strata communities are not insulated from this environment. The flow-on effects for strata Higher interest rates and […]
Transparency Fails When Responsibility Is Abstract
30 January 2026 Transparency in strata is often treated as a disclosure problem, as though better paperwork, longer reports, or more detailed declarations will naturally lead to better outcomes. In practice, most of the information people say they want already exists. Relationships are disclosed. Interests are declared. Processes are documented. Yet frustration persists, trust erodes, […]
Transparency, misunderstood
27 January 2026 Transparency is one of the most frequently invoked ideas in modern leadership, and one of the least clearly understood. It appears in values statements, pitch decks, annual reports, and speeches. It is promised early and referenced often. Yet when organisations come under pressure, transparency is usually the first principle to thin out. […]
Why “industry standard” is usually code for “unchallenged”
21 January 2026 Every industry relies on standards. They exist to create consistency, reduce friction, and provide a baseline for decision-making. In complex environments, they can be useful shortcuts, particularly where time, expertise, or continuity is limited. Strata is no exception. The problem is not that standards exist. The problem is what happens when they […]
Short-Term Decisions, Long-Term Consequences in NSW Strata
16 January 2026 I recently shared an article by Michael Teys with several strata committees I work with because it clearly articulated an issue many schemes are still reluctant to confront: the consequences of deferring maintenance and under-funding capital works. It resonated because it reflected what many owners and committee members already sense but struggle […]
How Strata Management Businesses Actually Make Money
14 December 2026 One of the most persistent sources of tension in strata isn’t service quality, personality, or even performance. It’s money. More specifically, how strata management businesses make money, how clearly that is disclosed, and whether owners corporations genuinely understand the financial relationships operating around their schemes. This article is not written to suggest […]
Spotting the Fish: Why Transparency Is Now the Only Viable Future for Strata
5 January 2026 For a long time, strata management in New South Wales has operated behind complexity. Not always maliciously.Not always deliberately.But consistently. Layers of jargon, dense contracts, “industry standard” practices, and financial arrangements that many owners corporations struggle to fully understand have become normalised. Complexity has often been mistaken for professionalism. Opacity has too […]