NSW Strata Committee Training 2026: A Practical Guide for Committee Members
Mandatory NSW strata committee training is now in force for appointments and reappointments from 1 October 2026. STRATA IQ Academy explains the requirement and seven practical things every committee member should understand after completing the course.
NSW Fair Trading provides the mandatory training. STRATA IQ Academy helps committee members put the learning into practice through clearer authority, financial oversight, repair and risk awareness, record control, communication and timely professional advice.
Fair Trading provides the mandatory training.
STRATA IQ Academy helps you put the learning into practice.
What you need to know
- The requirement commenced on 1 October 2026. A newly appointed or reappointed committee member must complete the introductory course within three months unless exempt. The same introductory course is completed once, not every year, and one certificate can cover service on multiple committees. NSW Fair Trading says additional or different annual training will be announced in 2027.
- You do not need a separate owners corporation resolution to undertake mandatory training. The obligation sits with the individual committee member. Explain the requirement alongside the committee election, then record each member’s deadline and evidence. Any paid help from a strata manager is a separate question of authority and agreed fees.
- A new or returning strata committee member appointed from 1 October 2026 generally must complete the free NSW Fair Trading course within three months from appointment. Exemptions include committee members in two-lot strata schemes, strata managing agents, Australian College of Strata Lawyers members and people filling a casual vacancy for less than three months. Association committees in community land schemes are outside the requirement.
- Completion is the legal starting point. Good governance depends on how the committee checks authority, evidence, risks, finances and follow-through afterwards.
- The Academy Guide and tracker are supplementary practical resources. They do not replace the official course or current NSW Fair Trading requirements.
Committee training is now in force. Let’s make it practical.
If you were appointed or reappointed from 1 October 2026, start with the overview, check whether an exemption applies and record your three-month deadline. If appointed before 1 October 2026, you do not need to complete training until your next appointment. You can choose to complete it earlier. The free official course is available through Strata Hub; these Academy resources help you apply the learning in practice.
Complete the introductory course after appointment.
A free online course for the 2026–27 training year.
Use the same certificate across multiple committees.
The introductory course is completed once, not every year. NSW Fair Trading says additional or different annual training will be announced in 2027.
The official Fair Trading course fulfils the training requirement. Academy guides and practice activities support your learning and do not replace it.
Who is exempt or outside scope?
A committee member in a two-lot strata scheme.
A NSW strata managing agent.
A current Australian College of Strata Lawyers member.
A person appointed to fill a casual vacancy for less than three months.
Community association committee members are outside this strata committee training requirement. A person claiming an exemption should give supporting evidence to the secretary.
Secretary procedure
Reminders, certificate collection and training notices are recommended administrative practices, not additional statutory duties. The training deadline, automatic cessation for non-completion and applicable Strata Hub updates remain separate legal requirements, consequences and obligations.
- 1
Record the appointment date, three-month due date and any claimed exemption.
- 2
Send a reminder at least one month before training is due and no later than two months after appointment.
- 3
Collect the certificate or exemption evidence, record every scheme it covers and retain it for at least one year.
- 4
If training is not completed by the due date, record the automatic cessation immediately.
- 5
Issue a failure notice as soon as practicable, notify the remaining committee and stop the former member participating in decisions.
- 6
Fill the vacancy by committee appointment or an owners corporation general meeting, and appoint a replacement office bearer if needed.
- 7
Update the committee records and, for a change of chairperson or secretary, update the Strata Hub within 28 days.
Replacement and reappointment
The committee may appoint an eligible person for the balance of the term, or the owners corporation can appoint a replacement at a general meeting. A former member should not be reappointed after training non-completion unless they have completed the training. Record the reappointment and retain the evidence of completed training. The introductory course does not need to be repeated.
Managing agent support
A managing agent can help with reminders, evidence, notices and reporting, but the owners corporation should confirm the scope, fees and express approval before extra work is undertaken. The managing agent should seek express approval through the appropriate process even where secretary functions have already been delegated.
These support steps are good-practice procedures, not additional statutory duties. Keep the evidence and include relevant activity in the agent's six-monthly report.
Use the learning at your next meeting
Choose one issue, gather the evidence, check who can decide and record the action and next update. Our independent coaching courses help you practise those steps.
Seven practical governance checks after the course.
1. What the committee can and cannot decide
Start with authority. A strata committee can exercise many owners corporation functions, but legislation, the regulations, the scheme's by-laws or an owners corporation decision may limit what it can do. Some matters must go to a general meeting. Identify the source of authority before voting or promising an outcome.
2. Understanding the financial health of the building
Look beyond the bank balance. Read the approved budgets, levy position, unpaid creditors, capital works plan, insurance costs and known future commitments together. Ask what is funded, what is not funded and what decision will be required next.
3. Understanding repairs, maintenance and building risks
Know the active repair issues, recurring failures, safety concerns, building defects and maintenance obligations. Confirm who is investigating, what interim controls are in place, what evidence has been retained and when the committee will receive the next update.
4. Knowing what authority is delegated to the strata manager
Read the agency agreement, delegations and relevant resolutions. Be clear about what the strata manager can approve or arrange, the financial limits that apply and which decisions must return to the committee or owners corporation.
5. Knowing where important scheme records are kept
Committee members should know how to locate current minutes, financial statements, the strata plan, registered by-laws, contracts, insurance records, maintenance reports and key correspondence. Good decisions depend on reliable records, not memory.
6. Communicating decisions properly
Record the decision, the reason, the responsible person, the action and the timeframe. Explain the outcome in plain language and provide a realistic next update. A resolution is only useful when the people affected understand what happens next.
7. Knowing when professional advice is required
Pause and obtain appropriate legal, engineering, building, fire-safety, insurance, financial or other specialist advice when the committee does not have enough evidence or authority to make a responsible decision. Record the question being referred and the next step.
Can you answer Yes—or is it Not Yet?
Use these questions after the mandatory course and whenever the committee's circumstances change.
Track every appointment from start to record.
- APPOINT
- RECORD DEADLINE
- REMIND
- COMPLETE
- CERTIFICATE
- RECORD
Committee Training Tracker
Record the committee member, appointment date, calculated training due date, reminder, completion and certificate evidence in one branded Excel tracker.
Excel workbook (.xlsx) · Training due date calculates from the appointment dateWatch for
- Treating course completion as the end of committee induction
- Making a decision before checking authority, records and financial consequences
- Assuming the strata manager holds every delegation or can approve every action
- Recording a resolution without a responsible person, timeframe or communication plan
Escalate when
- The committee's authority or a delegation is uncertain
- A financial, repair, defect, safety or insurance issue may have material consequences
- Important records are missing or conflicting
- Legal, technical or other specialist advice is needed before a responsible decision can be made
Clear answers before you act
Who must complete the NSW Fair Trading course?
NSW Fair Trading says new and returning strata committee members appointed from 1 October 2026 generally must complete the free course within three months. It also lists exemptions and confirms that association committees in community land schemes are outside the requirement. Check the current official page for the particular appointment.
Must the introductory course be repeated every year?
No. The introductory course is completed once. One certificate can support service on multiple strata committees, while each scheme should keep its own copy. NSW Fair Trading says additional or different annual training will be announced in 2027.
What should the committee secretary record?
Record the appointment date, three-month deadline and any exemption evidence. Send a reminder at least one month before training is due, then record completion or automatic cessation. Retain certificates and notices for at least one year.
What happens if training is not completed on time?
The member automatically stops holding office. The secretary should issue a failure notice as soon as practicable, notify the remaining committee, prevent further participation and begin the replacement process. Earlier decisions are generally still valid where the committee acted in good faith without knowing.
How is the vacancy filled?
The committee can appoint an eligible person for the balance of the term, or the owners corporation can appoint a replacement at a general meeting. Replace any vacant office-bearer position and update the Strata Hub within 28 days if the chairperson or secretary changes.
Can the strata managing agent administer the process?
Yes, if the owners corporation confirms the scope, fees and express approval. Administrative support is good practice rather than an additional statutory duty. Keep supporting evidence and include relevant activity in the agent’s six-monthly report.
Does STRATA IQ Academy training replace the government course?
No. Academy committee education is supplementary practical learning. A person subject to the legal requirement must complete the prescribed NSW Fair Trading course through the official pathway.
Source-controlled learning
Reviewed against the following current official material on 8 October 2026. Open the source to check the latest version before relying on it.
The certificate says you completed the course.
Good governance is what you do afterwards.
Knowing the check is useful. Practising the judgement is better.
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