When does a strata committee need a general meeting?
A quick authority check to distinguish day-to-day committee work from decisions reserved for the owners corporation.
A committee generally handles delegated day-to-day matters. A general meeting is needed when legislation, the scheme's resolutions or the nature of the decision reserves it for the owners corporation—such as special levies, by-laws, specified common-property changes and appointments requiring an owners corporation resolution.
Think before you act.
1. State the proposed resolution
Write the exact decision rather than discussing only the background. Authority is tested against the resolution that will actually be made.
2. Search for a reserved decision
Check whether the Act requires an ordinary, special or unanimous resolution of the owners corporation. If it does, the committee cannot substitute its decision.
3. Check scheme restrictions
Review prior owners corporation resolutions and any limits placed on committee expenditure or authority.
4. Choose the meeting pathway
If owner approval is required, prepare the correct motion, explanation, notice and supporting documents for a general meeting.
5. Preserve the audit trail
Record why the matter was referred, what information owners need and who will implement the decision if approved.
Watch for
- Splitting a proposal to avoid approval
- Treating urgency as automatic authority
- Using an informal poll instead of the required resolution
- A vague motion that hides the real decision
Escalate when
- The required resolution type is uncertain
- Common property rights, a by-law or major alteration is involved
- Notice periods or meeting validity are in doubt
- The matter materially affects an owner's rights
Source-controlled learning
Reviewed against the following current official material on 24 August 2026. Open the source to check the latest version before relying on it.
Knowing the check is useful. Practising the judgement is better.
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