How to Prepare for a Strata AGM
Most owners do not lose influence at the AGM because they are outvoted. They lose it because they read the pack too late.
By the time people are speaking over each other about levies or repairs, the useful questions should already be written down. The AGM is not just an annual formality. It is where the next year's money, maintenance and committee authority become real.
Rules change by state, preparation does not
The AGM is the single most important governance moment of the year, and like everything in committee governance, most of the useful work happens before the meeting starts, not during it.
NSW, Victoria, Queensland, WA, SA, Tasmania, ACT and NT all regulate annual meetings differently. Notice periods, quorum, proxies, voting thresholds, financial statements, committee elections and terminology vary.
The preparation is still recognisable everywhere. Read the agenda, budget, insurance documents, maintenance plan, previous minutes and motions. Then ask questions that fit your state or territory's voting rules instead of assuming the NSW process applies.
What the AGM usually decides
An AGM normally deals with the previous minutes, financial statements, the coming year's budget, levies or contributions, insurance, committee elections, appointments, audit decisions and any motions owners have put forward.
In NSW, annual general meetings now also need to deal with environmental sustainability information. Other states and territories may use different pathways for energy, EV charging, solar or capital upgrades, but the practical issue is national: owners should know how proposed work affects cost, approval, risk and future maintenance.
Read the financial papers first
Start with the financial statements, not the motions. Check what was budgeted, what was actually spent and whether the building finished the year in surplus or deficit.
Then look at the long-term maintenance or capital works position. If the building has a plan showing major work in the next few years, the budget should be saving toward it. If it is not, the committee should be able to explain why.
| What To Check | Useful Question | Warning Sign |
|---|---|---|
| Operating result | Did ordinary levies cover ordinary costs? | Repeated deficits with no plan to correct them |
| Long-term repair fund | Is the balance tracking the maintenance plan? | Known work with no matching contribution |
| Insurance | What changed in premium, excess or exclusions? | Large rise with no claims or renewal explanation |
| Management contract | Is the fee and term still competitive? | Long renewal with little benchmarking |
| Special levies | Were they caused by a genuine surprise or poor planning? | Predictable work funded at the last minute |
Read the motions like contracts
A motion is not just a heading on the agenda. It is the authority the committee or corporation will rely on later.
Check the amount approved, who can spend it, whether GST is included, whether a contractor is named, how variations will be handled and whether the motion affects common property or owner rights. For by-law or rule changes, read the exact words. Small drafting choices can change what owners are allowed to do.
If the motion is unclear, ask for it to be clarified before the vote. Minutes rarely fix a vague resolution later.
Ask better questions during the meeting
The best AGM questions are specific and answerable:
- "Which line item caused the proposed 9% levy increase?"
- "Is the lift work already in the maintenance plan, and what year was it expected?"
- "Did the insurer change the water-damage excess?"
- "How many quotes were received for the proposed contract?"
- "Who is responsible for reporting back to owners after the vote?"
That style works better than a speech. It gives the chair and committee something concrete to answer, and it creates a cleaner record in the minutes.
Proxies and attendance deserve care
If you cannot attend, use your vote properly. Appoint someone you trust and give written voting instructions for the motions that matter. Proxy rules and limits vary across Australia, so check the notice and your local legislation or scheme rules.
Be cautious when one person is collecting large numbers of proxies. It may be lawful in some circumstances, but it can also concentrate influence away from owners who have not read the papers.
After the meeting, check the follow-through
Minutes should record what was decided, not every argument. Read them when they arrive and raise errors quickly.
Then watch whether AGM decisions become action. If owners approved facade investigation, insurance review, painting, EV charging design or a levy change, someone should be able to explain the next step and timing.
One AGM by itself tells you little. Three years of budgets, minutes and maintenance updates show whether the building is improving, drifting or pushing costs into the future.
Where UnitBuddy fits
UnitBuddy helps owners and committees bring the meeting back to evidence: levy history, fund balances, insurance movement, maintenance status and comparable buildings.
That does not make the AGM conflict-free. It just makes the argument more useful. Owners can disagree about priorities while still looking at the same numbers.
Further reading
- NSW: Proxy and voting rules for owners corporation meetings — via LookUpStrata
- NSW: How the 5 percent proxy rule works in NSW strata — via LookUpStrata