Forum Replies Created
-
Replies
-
& here’s the poster PDF for printing:
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/Infectious/covid-19/Documents/mask-in-common-areas-gs.pdf
The detail on levies on your post is unclear. From dim memory there is a calculation of around .8 to 1.5% p.a. of the value of the property. You also need to take in account service offerings by the owner’s corporation. e.g. how many lifts, concierge service, security, pools, spas, gyms, gardens, bbq areas, common areas footprint size (paint, carpet, maintenance), infrastructure – pumps, cooling towers, ventilation, distribution boards, TV aerials, communications etc.
Levies often aren’t high enough for upkeep of the owner’s corporation leading to special levies because the money hasn’t been raised to deal with maintenance in a timely manner.
Check the 10 year capital works schedule for your strata plan – you should have one with 170 lots.
The latest COVID-19 compliance rules relating to gyms:
https://www.nsw.gov.au/news/new-covid-19-compliance-rules-for-nsw-gyms
Do gyms within strata schemes fall under these rules (particularly those in large strata schemes)? We have been trying to find out but have come up with nothing. Jimmy, do you have a hotline into Fair Trading who will clear this up for us? Many thanks in advance.
We do permit pets, but with restrictions. I’m very glad to see the result of these two appeals due to the broader issues raised. I have read both judgements. The key point for me was put forward by one of the Owner’s Corporations:
“… the implicit premise that one person’s preference to keep a pet is more important than another person’s… preference to live without a pet in the building…”
Strata living in a nutshell. 😉 Hopefully these appeals allow communities to choose their own destiny. Want a building which permits or restricts pets, short term lets, smoking, ballroom dancing in the courtyard, visible washing, solar panels, electric vehicle chargers? Read the by-laws & find a strata scheme which suits you & your circumstances.
Some other things to consider:
Fire safety – do the new “bedrooms” have adequate fire protection? In our building these sorts of proposals disappear due to the cost of fire engineering reports, additions to the sprinkler system, & wired in smoke alarms.
I also wonder if the strata plan would need to be redrawn to show any new bedrooms? Do the new internal walls form part of common property & need to be reflected on the strata plan?
A read through the National Construction Code (excellent lockdown reading) might also be useful to see what constitutes a bedroom for your class of building. Bedrooms need minimum dimensions & natural light.
https://www.abcb.gov.au/Connect/Categories/National-Construction-Code
I’d start by checking your Development Application/Occupancy Certificate issued by your council. Our Development Application approval issued with City of Sydney Council includes this language:
“The on-site car parking spaces, exclusive of designated visitor parking spaces, are not to be used by those other than an occupant of or person residing in the subject building and any tenant or registered proprieter of the development site or part thereof shall not enter into an agreement to lease, licence, or transfer ownership of such car parking spaces to those other than an occupant or resident of the subject building.”
i.e. by all means rent your car space to your neighbours but council don’t want your building turned into the next Wilson car park. Neither do your neighbours btw – brings a world of security hassles depending on how your car park integrates with the rest of the building.
& the lucky winner is: Kevin Anderson – Better Regulation and Innovation
(according to SBS news.)
twosailram is likely on the money, the smoke alarm install is dictated by floor plate/construction issues. Before casting blame I’d be going back to look at the Fire Safety Reports generated during design/construction & annual fire safety checks of your strata scheme. Reports should be lodged with your council. Having spent some quality time with the boxes of documents concerning our scheme it can take some time to sift through to find what you’re looking for.
Not sure where you are but I’ve found the City of Sydney archives department super helpful with access requests. They email digitised documents otherwise are happy to book appointments for archive viewing in their reading room.
Not surprised the meter reader ran away. They allocated 2 hours for the reader to get into all ~330 lots at ours.
& the wireless meters we now have have a 10 year+ battery so they don’t transmit very far. They are read by someone wandering along the corridors. Model is this one:
https://www.enware.com.au/product/EHM9020?pid=3291
I’m not sure how one would work if it transmitted via 3G/4G presumably the meter would need to be hard wired to power.
Get your Owner’s Corp./residents to start writing stern letters to Jemena/Obudsperson saying estimates aren’t good enough.
For all of the reasons you mentioned our gas meters for central hot water located inside apartments have been an absolute pain in the proverbial to deal with. Also loads of residents very frustrated with estimated meter reads and the lack of trust in doing a self read.
Our building manager eventually negotiated with Jemena that we would be notified a few days before SkillTech (the new meter reading contractor) would be reading the meters. That got old very quickly and Jemena then approached us to have wireless meters installed at no cost to the Owner’s Corporation. The wireless meters were a drop in replacement for the existing meters so no pipe work was needed, just a bit of hot water down time & access to every lot. The wireless meters are read by a Skilltech person walking around the corridors with a reader. We’ve had wireless meters for 18 months now & no more complaints from any party.
Maybe you can try that route? We’re a large strata with ~330 lots.
Just an idea – an enclosed designated smoking area such as you see at airports.
e.g. http://www.alfaintek.com/en/production/Clean-Air-Solutions-for-People/smoking
or google smoking cabins. Has anyone gone down this path?
Have each company put forward their solution along with costing, including installation & maintenance. They will likely nominate preferred installers. Ask them if they have ever retro-fitted into heritage buildings. Check that it will hook into your existing security system if you need remote door opening capability for car park entrances or lobby doors and integration with lifts.
Check any heritage issues with your local council (it helps to state where you are in AU). They should be detailed in the development consent or in any heritage register listing. At least that’s what I’ve found in NSW, City of Sydney council.
Ask each company for referrals to other buildings which have their technology installed who you can speak to about their experiences.
If your committee doesn’t have the tech skills to properly assess the options, ask other owners if they can offer advice or you may need to buy in independent expertise.
Our next big SC project will be finding a solution to upgrade our intercom. We currently have an Urmet system but it is increasingly difficult to get parts for our now very old system. We’re also a heritage building but the heritage elements don’t interact with the intercom.
Post back with any insights & I’ll do the same. & all the best!
Which by-law/piece of strata legislation are these people breaching?
In strata sometimes you need to build a bridge & get over it. Close your curtains/blinds & let others live their lives.
@BONNIE L said:
Thanks very much if any insights.
Make sure smoke alarms are photoelectric with built-in 10 year batteries if they are standalone.
More info:
Some more background: