Tasmania strata news, October 2026: last days to comment on the strata bill, and CBOS splits in two

The biggest thing for Tasmanian bodies corporate this month is a deadline. Comments on the draft Strata Titles Amendment Bill 2026, the first package of changes from the review of the Strata Titles Act 1998 that began with a 2020 discussion paper, close at 11:55pm on Sunday 25 October. The government plans to table a revised bill in Parliament in late November. If your committee has a view on management statements, maintenance plans, proxy limits or the lighter rules for small schemes, this week is the time to send it. Behind the bill sits one number: most Tasmanian strata schemes are tiny.

News

Strata bill submissions close on 25 October

The Department of Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania released the draft Strata Titles Amendment Bill 2026 on 11 September, with an Information Paper explaining it. Announcing it, Minister for Parks and Heritage Nick Duigan said the reforms recognise that "a one-size-fits-all approach is no longer suitable". The draft bill would require, among other things:

• A management statement for every scheme, registered with the Recorder of Titles. Existing schemes would have 12 months from commencement to lodge one, and every body corporate would review it at least once a year.
• A five-year maintenance plan for common property, with estimated costs, reviewed at least once a year.
• A flexible quorum. A body corporate could set its quorum anywhere from 25% to 50% by by-law.
• A cap on proxies. One proxy per person in schemes of 20 lots or fewer, and no more than 5% of the lots in bigger schemes.
• Faster access to information. A body corporate would have 7 days to answer a request for roll information or records.
• A written contract for strata managers, with terms to be set by regulation.

Two sets of regulations are planned: one for all schemes and a lighter one for smaller developments of four or fewer lots. Neither has been released. The bill has not yet been introduced: it does not appear on the Parliament's list of 2026 bills.

CBOS is now two agencies

From 1 October 2026, Consumer, Building and Occupational Services has transitioned to two regulators: Consumer Affairs Tasmania and Building Standards Tasmania. CBOS says information is still being moved to the new websites, and that any reference to CBOS should be read as the relevant function in the new agencies.

For bodies corporate, the split matters when you need help with a contractor:

• Building Standards Tasmania now hosts building and plumbing standards, resolving a building dispute, including mediation of residential building disputes and security of payment, and consumer building information.
• Consumer Affairs Tasmania now hosts consumer rights, renting and bonds, electrical and gas safety, and the licensed occupations search for trades and building services providers.

Paper certificates of title are gone

The Recorder of Titles removed certificates of title from the Land Titles Office's processes on 1 September 2026, as announced in Office Circular 5/2026. They can't be issued or printed after 31 August 2026. The Register kept by the Recorder is the evidence of who owns land, and a title search is available through theLIST. Identity and right-to-deal checks by your bank or conveyancer replace the paper certificate when you sell or refinance.

For lot owners, that means there is no need to hunt for an old certificate before you sell. You can keep one for sentimental reasons, and the Land Titles Office says it may still help as part evidence of your right to deal for a while. If a lawyer or conveyancer holds yours, they may contact you to ask whether to return it or destroy it securely.

A draft Apartment Code for faster planning approval

On 29 September the Minister for Housing and Planning, Kerry Vincent, announced a draft Apartment Code to give new apartments, including shop-top housing, a clearer path through planning approval in suitable zones. Councils, industry bodies and the Tasmanian Planning Commission have a copy for targeted feedback, and public consultation will follow. New apartment buildings become new strata schemes, so this is one to watch if you own in a town centre where infill is likely. In August, all 56 new non-house approvals were townhouses, semis or terraces, and no apartments were approved.

TasInsure takes a step forward

On 10 August the Premier named RACT as the interim partner for TasInsure, the government's planned insurer, under a memorandum of understanding. The release says the work will prioritise hard-to-place sectors, including tourism, hospitality and events. It gives no start date and doesn't mention strata insurance, so keep renewing your building cover as usual and compare quotes as the renewal date approaches.

The numbers

New dwellings other than houses are where future strata schemes come from. In Tasmania the monthly count is small and lumpy, so a single project can swing it.

August's 56 were almost all outside Greater Hobart. April's and May's approvals were all in Greater Hobart.

Tasmania has 10,537 strata schemes but only 38,919 lots, which fits the Land Titles Office's picture of a state full of two-lot and three-lot schemes. The UNSW count is for 2024 and comes from a different source from the Land Titles Office figures above, so the two don't match.

At least 8% of Tasmanians live in strata, level with South Australia and the lowest share in the country. The national figure is 15%.

Offers

There are no sponsor offers for Tasmania this month. If your body corporate is getting ready for the reforms, the free UnitBuddy demo shows how a building can keep its roll, levies, maintenance plan and records in one place.

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From the blog