STRATA IQ Explains · Episode 6 · 3-minute read

Money in the bank. Bills on the way.

A strata scheme can have money in the bank and still face a short-term funding gap. Start with the fund and the date.

NSW strata committees, owners and managersBy Silvestro MusumeciPublished 7 October 2026
STRATA IQ Academy Explains artwork: administrative cash $43,000, capital works cash $168,000 and Friday administrative bills $49,000, showing a $6,000 gap.
The question

“There is $211,000 in the bank. How can three invoices be a problem?” It is a fair question. Start with two smaller ones: which fund, and which date?

The fund changes the answer

In our fictional 48-lot building, $43,000 sits in the administrative fund and $168,000 in the capital works fund. Three administrative invoices totalling $49,000 fall due this Friday. The immediate gap is $6,000.

The owners corporation is also owed levies. Those amounts matter to the collection plan, but they have not yet reached the bank. The next ordinary levy instalment is due in November. The capital works fund has planned roof expenditure of its own. None of that puts another $6,000 into the administrative fund by Friday.

Give the committee a dated picture

Before recommending a solution, check the actual bank and fund records, payments already in motion, invoice terms, insurance renewal, receipts and decision authority. Then show money in → money out → money owing → money due → cash available.

A budget tells you what the scheme planned to raise and spend. A fund balance tells you what is recorded in that fund. A cash forecast asks whether the right money is available at the right time.

Why it matters

The total balance does not answer Friday's question.

The committee needs to know what is available in the relevant fund by the payment date and which receipts have actually cleared before deciding what to do.

One practical action

Ask: What must be paid, by when, from which fund—and what has actually arrived? This fictional example is not a direction to prioritise a creditor. Check the scheme's records and current NSW requirements before a real decision.

The practical question

What must be paid, by when, from which fund—and what has actually arrived?

Sources and review status:

Fictional NSW training example. NSW Government finance and levy guidance checked 28 September 2026. Confirm current guidance and scheme-specific records before a real decision.

Continue when useful

Turn the explanation into practice.

Open the linked Guide or Academy pathway when you need the complete checks, official sources and practical learning.

Learn how to brief the next bill
© 2026 Strata IQ Academy. Share the link to this complete insight for non-commercial professional learning. Do not edit, rebrand or present it as scheme-specific advice.