In this week’s podcast we wonder whether the announcement of fines for strata managers who don’t reveal the various deals and relationships they have with developers and service providers signals a sea change in how NSW Fair Trading regards strata professionals who play fast and loose with the facts.

Quite clearly, this is a response to the revelations last year about how Netstrata allegedly hid insurance commissions from its clients. But is it enough?

Netstrata is not the biggest strata management company involved in this, nor, in all likelihood, will it be the worst offender. Will we ever find out? Manwhile, strata schemes should not be mistaken in thinking it’s your strata manager – the one who turns up at your AGM who will be fined.

This is about the companies, large and small, whose culture has evolved from support and service to profits at all costs. Your strata manager is only doing what their job description dictates.

Also in the pod, we look at a new drive to build homes specifically for essential service providers like nurses, cops and firies.

We discuss the likely impact of the new releases of designs from the NSW pattern book for low-density apartment blocks.

And we mull over what should be done about a spare chunk of common property that has been annexed by an enterprising owner.

That’s all in this week’s Flat Chat Wrap.

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Recorded by Jimmy Thomson & Sue Williams; Transcribed by Otter.ai.
Find out more about Sue Williams and Jimmy Thomson on their websites.