This week in the Flat Chat Wrap podcast we take a deep dive into the strata managers’ code of ethics.We touched on the topic in the Forum last week and its worth revisiting as the NSW branch of the Strata Community Association is about to officially launch its state government-approved Professional Standards Scheme.The SCA (NSW) Code of Ethics underpins its professional standards and the built-in disciplinary procedures add some heft to its definitions of what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour by strata managers.It’s a fairly dense document but the accompanying guide skirts around the issues that we think are most important.These include strata managers enabling incompetent and possibly even corrupt committees, while aiding and abetting developers who are intent on ripping off apartment buyers with embedded networks and pre-sold management rights contracts.Also on the pod, we ask why the building commissioner is taking such a keen interest in developments on the north coast of NSW.Property prices are booming up there – does that mean the developer sharks are circling?And, on the eve of the Owners’ Corporation Network’s annual Strata Matters conference, we ask who is looking after apartment owners in other states.TRANSCRIPT IN FULLJimmy 00:00We've been invited to a big function next week.Sue 00:02We have!Jimmy 00:03The Strata Community Association, previously Strata Community Australia, before they included New Zealand.Sue 00:12Oh really! Is that..Jimmy 00:13That's why they changed their name.Sue 00:15I always have to look it up, every time I write about anybody from there and I always think "why can I just never remember, whether it's Australia or Association?"Jimmy 00:24Well, that's why, because it was, once.Sue 00:26 Oh, right, so I'm not quite going mad.Jimmy 00:29So, the New South Wales branch has its AGM next week, but they're also doing the big launch of their professional standards system (whatever you call it). It's almost like they're becoming like accountants, where the government recognises that they provide professional standards. Presumably, at some point in the future they will be able to say "if you're going to have input from a strata manager, they must be members of SCA New South Wales," so it's a big deal.But, part of that process was to create a Code of Ethics, which we touched upon last week on the website (in the forum), and it actually bears a bit of exploration and examination, so we'll be doing that. We're talking about property up in northern New South Wales, which has been visited by the Building Commissioner and, we'll have a chat about what kind of organisations there are for owners, in other states in Australia. Hi, I'm Jimmy Thomson, I write the Flat Chat column for the Australian Financial Review.Sue 01:39And I'm Sue Williams and I write about property for Domain.Jimmy 01:42And this is the Flat Chat Wrap.[MUSIC]JimmyThe Strata Community Association New South Wales' Code of Ethics is an interesting document. Not only does it have rules about how strata managers are expected to behave, but it lays out the principles for complaints and if you download their Code of Ethics, you will find a whole complaints form (which
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Recorded by Jimmy Thomson & Sue Williams; Transcribed by Otter.ai.
Find out more about Sue Williams and Jimmy Thomson on their websites.
