Election Asks: Why a Government rollout of a Dedicated Strata Helpline will better the lives of 1.6 million Victorians

Currently, 1 out of every 4 Victorians live in a Strata titled property. That’s a whopping 1.6 million people and a massive portion of these are voters in state and federal elections. With such a large number of people, advocating and pushing for positive reform by the Government in the sector is a no-brainer.

At Highrise Strata, we get behind the key areas of reform that the industry peak body Strata Community Association (Vic) will be advocating for in this 2022 state election as we know they are set to benefit over a million Victorians. These reform areas come down to creating safer, more sustainable and more supportive Strata communities.

One of the highest priorities that I believe any incoming Government must have in mind is the protection, safety and support of all Victorians. For this reason, a key election “ask” that I want to delve into today is for the establishment of a dedicated ‘Victorian Strata Helpline’ to help with any issues or disputes throughout a Strata community.

We believe education is central to success in this space and we consistently run workshops an seminars with clients, real estate agents and property managers we deal with to ensure they know their rights and the correct processes to minimise conflict and disputes.

However, all disputes are different and require tailored guidance - something a dedicated helpline can and would provide.

Opting for de-escalation in the first instance

Being able to find adequate information or sound guidance can make a huge difference to how any lot owner or their property manager might make the best decision for their circumstance.

Time and time again, my team hears about conflicts that could’ve been stamped out well before they had to reach the courtroom if only the opposing views were tempered early prior to escalation.

Strata legislation and regulations are complex and require interpretation and explanation by experienced strata or legal professionals, and the need for this expertise will only grow in the future, concurrent with the growth of strata living.

Through adequate support channels through a dedicated hotline providing baseline advice and education, we can stop a large portion of conflicts from ever getting further than the living room or the poorly sound insulated floor and ceiling of two opposing unit occupiers.

The cost that Strata conflicts can have on the Government in terms of court time is huge.

Calculations show that the cost of a helpline would be about $381,000 a year - a significantly lower cost than the current burden on the system these disputes can create. Imagine the reduction in the current backlog of cases freeing up valuable court time to address defect matters for long-suffering lot owners.

In Victoria, strata lot owners and residents currently cannot seek industry-specific, authoritative information and advice prior to seeking legal assistance. The addition of an advice hotline can benefit consumers while at the same time reducing the administrative burden and cost to the Victorian Government of costly tribunal and other dispute resolution processes.

What are the key issues?

From carpark qualms, building access, utility issues and general rules to smoking, pets, maintenance plans, insurance, defects and waste - the range of enquiries or complaints that come through Strata are vast.

There are a range of organisations that probably spring to mind that you imagine could provide guidance on these, including the Victorian Civil & Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) and Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV) - however, the advice is often too general in nature, too easily misinterpreted and dare I say leads to more disputes escalating than it resolves.

There is widespread support across Victoria’s Strata community for this helpline to be established – even as far as a national level, like Western Australia where this has already been rolled out.

The West Australian Government, following a successful campaign at their most recent election successfully put into practice a strata helpline in 2021.

The West Australian Government established a dedicated strata helpline overseen by Landgate in consultation with SCA (WA), to provide consumers with an independent avenue to address issues within Strata schemes.

Over 18 months, the helpline dealt with close to 8,000 enquiries - with 71 per cent being able to be resolved through a customer service rep and only 20 per cent escalated.

The top five categories that were resolved in this way were: Management, current property, scheme boundaries, disputes or changes.

This case study serves a great example of how these helplines can make a major difference in conflict resolution at a minimal cost.

Inadequacies in current system

Currently dispute resolution processes show glaring inadequacies. Within the range of services mentioned above, none provide a dedicated advisory for Strata consumers to obtain legal or specialised help. Consumers often suffer lengthy delays or have to go through long delays in applying for a hearing with a tribunal.

VCAT has had an average increase of 11.5 per cent in owners corporation cases lodged per annum within the immediate two financial years prior to 2020, with a long-term backlog of cases escalating even further as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A dedicated helpline would get in front of this from the get-go and save everyone a lot of time and money.

Final thoughts

Whatever way you look at it, whether it be financial, time or general reliability, a dedicated Strata helpline is the way to go in allowing Strata consumers to deal with issues or disputes.

We must opt for de-escalation of issues as our first point of action as a lot of disputes can be resolved with quick, easily accessible and professionally appropriate guidance and advice. As we have observed in Western Australia, a massive proportion of disputes don’t need to go further than an industry specific qualified customer service advisor.

Strata consumers need advice on a range of topics and issues and it isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach. Instead, tailored advice and consistent education are key.

Our current system isn’t working. The Victorian government must get behind this issue that impacts a quarter of the Victorian population in order to create better outcomes for them.

When heading to the polls tomorrow, ensure your party of choice is one that supports our industry and supports creating safer, more sustainable and more supportive Strata communities.

ENDS.

About High Rise Strata Management

Highrise Strata Management commenced trading in June 2021 as a specialist Owners Corporation Management firm focusing solely on large Owners Corporations. The team at JFB Management Services established Highrise Strata after a successful 6 years administering their portfolio without a single lost management. We are proud to say that some of our buildings have remained loyal clients of our team of managers for over 15 years.

Through extensive management experience in the industry, the Highrise Strata Management team came to realise that the Owners Corporation Management needs of larger, prestigious sites across Melbourne were not being attended to with the care, dedication and high levels of customer service and relationship management they deserve.

Highrise Strata has a strong focus on education of our clients and stakeholders for the betterment of the industry as a whole.

Underpinning the above, the team at Highrise Strata have a strong focus on ethical practices within the industry, promoting best practice and leading the way in the market space we operate.