Over the years, the management of strata schemes has become increasingly complex. Responsibility for the governance and management of a strata scheme is shared between professional strata managing agents and volunteer members of strata committees.
As the saying goes, “ignorance of the law is no excuse.” That principle applies equally to professional strata managers and volunteer committee members. Committee members are required to understand and comply with their legal obligations, even though they generally perform their roles on a voluntary basis.
For some time, the NSW Government has been working towards introducing mandatory training for strata committee members. The new training requirement is an important development and, in our view, represents a first step towards providing committees with a broader understanding of their responsibilities and obligations.
Commencement of mandatory training
From 1 October 2026, new and returning strata committee members in New South Wales will be required to complete free, compulsory online training within three months of their appointment.
The training is provided by NSW Fair Trading through the Strata Hub.
NSW Government — Strata Committee Training
Key training details
- Cost: Free.
- Format: Online and self-paced.
- Duration: Approximately one hour.
- Provider: NSW Fair Trading through the Strata Hub.
- Content: The course covers matters including legal duties, governance and committee roles, maintenance and repairs, financial management and dispute resolution.
Who must complete the training?
The requirement applies to members of strata committees in strata schemes who are appointed or re-appointed on or after 1 October 2026, subject to the specified exemptions.
A person appointed to a strata committee on 1 October 2026, for example, will generally have until 1 January 2027 to complete the training.
Committee members appointed before 1 October 2026 are not required to undertake the training merely because the new requirements commence. The requirement will arise when they are subsequently re-appointed, subject to the applicable rules.
Exemptions
The training requirement does not apply to committee members who:
- are members of a two-lot strata scheme;
- are members of the Australian College of Strata Lawyers;
- are strata managing agents; or
- are appointed to fill a casual vacancy for less than three months.
Where a committee member relies upon an exemption, they should provide appropriate evidence of the exemption to the committee secretary.
What happens if a committee member does not complete the training?
Completion of the training is not simply a recommendation. A committee member who fails to complete the training within the required three-month period automatically ceases to be a member of the strata committee.
The secretary may issue a notice informing the person that they have failed to complete the training and are no longer a committee member. However, the person’s membership ends by operation of the requirements even if no notice is issued.
If the person is subsequently appointed to the committee again during the same 12-month period in which they were first appointed, they will have a further three months from the date of the new appointment to complete the training.
Effect on committee decisions
If a committee decision involves a person who had ceased to be a committee member because they failed to complete the training, the decision will generally remain valid where the committee acted in good faith and was unaware that the person was no longer a committee member.
Once the committee becomes aware that a member has failed to complete the training, it should:
- prevent that person from participating in future committee decisions; and
- consider whether another person needs to be appointed to fill the resulting vacancy.
Where a replacement committee member is required, the appointment may require a general meeting of the owners corporation.
Certificates of Completion
Upon completing the training, NSW Fair Trading issues a Certificate of Completion.
Committee members should provide a copy of their certificate to the committee secretary. The certificate provides a simple means of demonstrating that the training requirement has been satisfied.
The secretary should retain copies of Certificates of Completion as part of the owners corporation’s records for at least the required record-keeping period.
Reminder to committee members
Committee secretaries should issue a reminder to each committee member no later than two months after their appointment.
The reminder should:
- advise the member of the date by which the training must be completed; and
- request that the member provide a copy of their Certificate of Completion to the secretary once the training has been completed.
If a member does not provide evidence of completion, the secretary is encouraged to issue a Failure to Complete Training Notice.
The notice will inform the committee member that they are no longer a member of the committee because they failed to complete the training within the required three-month period.
NSW Fair Trading has indicated that a template Failure to Complete Training Notice will be published closer to the commencement of the training requirements.
Where a committee member’s position becomes vacant, the secretary should also notify the remaining committee members.
Training is available to everyone
The training is not restricted to people who are legally required to complete it.
From 1 October 2026, the course will also be available to:
- people considering joining a strata committee;
- strata owners and residents generally;
- existing committee members who were appointed before 1 October 2026 and are not yet required to undertake the training; and
- members of two-lot strata schemes who wish to improve their understanding of strata governance.
This is a positive development. Even where training is not compulsory, a better-informed committee is more likely to understand the limits of its authority, comply with the legislation and make properly informed decisions.
A significant step forward
Mandatory committee training should be regarded as more than an administrative requirement.
Strata committee members can be required to make decisions involving substantial expenditure, building maintenance, contractors, insurance, owners corporation funds, by-laws, disputes and the exercise of statutory powers. Those responsibilities should not be undertaken without at least a basic understanding of the legislative framework governing strata schemes.
The introduction of compulsory training is therefore a welcome first step. Ultimately, however, effective strata governance requires continuing education and a clear understanding of the respective roles of the owners corporation, strata committee, individual lot owners and strata managing agent.
The objective should not simply be to ensure that committee members complete a one-hour course. It should be to develop committees that understand their responsibilities, exercise their powers lawfully and work constructively with professional strata managers in the interests of the owners corporation.