The NSW Government is opening consultation on a proposed centralised digital strata hub to make it easier for anyone who builds, owns, lives or works in a strata scheme to get the information they need.
“The hub is being built as part of the Government’s commitment to transform the building and construction sector into the transparent, consumer-centric industry it needs to be. In the last twelve months we have delivered landmark reforms that give homeowners peace of mind that they are buying a safe and expertly designed apartment, protected by strong and modernised laws. The next step is to ensure well-built properties continue to be maintained and managed successfully, to ensure we have a safe and strong strata sector in NSW,” Minister for Better Regulation and Innovation Kevin Anderson said.
“The hub will consolidate core information and data about NSW’s 82,000 strata schemes in one place, giving property purchasers insights in their potential new home while allowing the regulator to monitor each building’s ongoing maintenance and defect management. Information collected during the construction phase of a building will be stored in the system and will help consumers make informed decisions about the trustworthiness of a building. It will also let the regulators keep a close eye on each strata building to make sure NSW homeowners are not burdened with avoidable building defects when maintenance is neglected,” Minister Anderson said.
Subject to the passing of legislation and regulations, owners corporations will be required to report certain information about their schemes such as annual fire safety statements, address for service of notices, contact details for the scheme and litigation relating to defects.
“The tool will also manage the building defect bond after it is lodged through the NSW ePlanning portal, which pays for any defects found in the first 24 months after finishing the building work,” Minister Anderson said.
“The proposed hub will be a game-changer for communities,” Minister for Customer Service Victor Dominello said.
“Whether you are a strata owner, occupier or prospective buyer, we want to make your life easier by making all the information relevant to your scheme available on one easy-to-use platform. This is about using technology to help strata communities and prospective buyers to make more informed decisions about their future. Whether it’s accessing a scheme’s fire inspection report or finding out how environmentally friendly a building is, we want as much of this information to be open to owners, strata managers and regulators via the Strata Hub,” Minister Victor said.