Page 391 - Week 02 - Tuesday, 18 February 2020
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Regardless of the fault, the general procedure, at least for larger complexes, is for the strata manager to manage the insurance claims process. What this amendment does is ensure that unscrupulous strata managers or executive committees do not straddle individual owners with this task. While I understand that strata insurance can be a complex issue, this amendment is straightforward and the Greens are happy to support it. We have until November this year before the bill commences, and this should provide ample time for the directorate to develop an implementation plan.
In the event that an unforeseen issue arises and Mr Parton’s amendment requires some tweaking, I am sure that the Greens and, indeed, the Liberals would be happy to revisit this and support any changes that were needed to make Mr Parton’s amendment workable. But, from what we can see, it is a very commonsense approach to one of the many little niggling problems that sometimes happen. The Greens are happy to support Mr Parton’s amendment.
I will also be moving amendments to Mr Gentleman’s bill. The effect of these amendments is, firstly, to clarify that sustainability infrastructure, as defined in the Unit Titles (Management) Act 2011, includes such infrastructure when it is installed within an individual unit area, not just on the common property of an owners corporation; secondly, to make it easier for members of owners corporations to see what conditions, if any, were placed on their development’s approval; and, lastly, to make it a condition that, when a dwelling is offered for sale or lease, if it has been built as an adaptable dwelling then the advertisement and sale documentation specifies this. I will speak briefly about each of these.
The sustainability infrastructure amendment seeks to expand on and clarify the existing provisions within the Unit Titles (Management) Act 2011 regarding sustainability infrastructure. This will largely affect townhouse and, in particular, class B developments. It amends the act’s dictionary to include sustainability infrastructure that is installed in or on an individual unit and specifies that the owners corporation’s permission must not be unreasonably refused if an owner applies to install sustainability infrastructure.
The most common type of sustainability infrastructure that a unit owner would be likely to apply for is permission to install photovoltaic cells, solar cells, but it also could include solar hot water, a clothesline within a courtyard or possibly even a balcony or maybe a battery or infrastructure to charge an electric vehicle. It is important to note that the Greens are not proposing that such equipment be installed on a common rooftop or a common property. Indeed, there is already a provision within the Unit Titles (Management) Act that deals with this. The amendment simply aims to provide clarity regarding what is already happening across strata complexes.
The development approval is one that I know will probably affect only a small number of people but one that I know would have been useful in at least a couple of cases. It relates to conditions that have been placed on the approval of the development, such as privacy screens in front of windows to prevent overlooking of a neighbouring property.
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