How to run a strata AGM in NSW

The annual general meeting is the one meeting a strata scheme must hold every year. It is where owners adopt the accounts, set the levies, confirm insurance and elect the committee. Get the process right and the year runs smoothly; get the notice or quorum wrong and the decisions can be challenged. Here is how to run one properly.

Why the AGM matters

The AGM is where the owners corporation makes its big decisions together: approving the budget and levies for the year ahead, adopting the financial statements, confirming insurance, and electing the strata committee. Because so much flows from it, the AGM is also the meeting most often challenged — usually on a technicality like inadequate notice or a missed quorum. The procedure is not hard; it just has to be followed.

When to hold it

Every scheme must hold an AGM once each year. A scheme's first AGM must be held within two months after the end of the initial period (broadly, once enough of the lots have been sold). Many schemes set their own financial year, so your AGM timing keys off that rather than the standard 1 July–30 June year.

The mandatory agenda

General business cannot just be raised on the day — every item to be decided must appear as a motion on the agenda circulated with the notice. A standard AGM agenda includes:

• Confirming the minutes of the previous general meeting.
• Presenting and adopting the financial statements for the administrative and capital works funds.
• Considering the appointment of an auditor (where applicable).
• Confirming insurance — reviewing the policies held and whether cover is adequate.
• Setting contributions (levies) to the administrative and capital works funds for the coming year.
• Electing the strata committee (and deciding how many members it will have).
• Any other motions properly submitted for inclusion.

Notice: how much, and what to include

Written notice of the AGM must be given to owners at least 7 days before the meeting (some matters and some by-laws require longer, and first-AGM document timelines differ — so build in a buffer). Notice goes to everyone on the strata roll, including owners, and to mortgagees and tenants where required.

Crucially, the notice must be accompanied by the documents owners need to decide — including the financial statements for the administrative and capital works funds, particulars of the insurance policies held, the agenda and the proposed motions, and a copy of the previous meeting's minutes (if not already provided). Notice can be given electronically where owners have agreed to that method.

Quorum

A meeting cannot transact business without a quorum. A quorum is present if either at least one quarter of the people entitled to vote are present (in person or by proxy), or people entitled to vote on at least 25% of the total unit entitlement are present. If a quorum is not present within 30 minutes of the start time, the meeting can generally proceed with those present, and their decisions stand. Keeping accurate attendance and entitlement records is what lets the chair confirm quorum confidently.

Voting and proxies

• Who can vote: generally only financial owners (levies up to date), except where a motion requires the agreement of all owners.
• Types of resolution: most decisions are ordinary resolutions (a simple majority of votes cast). Some matters need a special resolution (no more than one quarter of votes against) or a unanimous resolution.
• Proxies: an owner can appoint a proxy to vote for them using the proper written form; there are limits on how many proxies one person may hold.
• Electronic voting: schemes can adopt electronic and pre-meeting voting, which lifts participation in small to medium size strata schemes where owners cannot all attend in person.

Running the meeting

1. Open and confirm quorum. The chair notes who is present (in person and by proxy) and confirms a quorum exists.
2. Confirm previous minutes. Accept the minutes of the last general meeting as a true record.
3. Work through the motions in order. For each: introduce it, allow fair discussion, then put it to a vote and declare the result.
4. Adopt the financials and set levies. Present the statements, adopt them, and approve contributions for the year ahead.
5. Confirm insurance. Review the policies and cover.
6. Elect the committee. Decide the number of members and elect them.
7. Close. Note the time and thank attendees.

Minutes and what comes after

Accurate minutes record the decisions made (and the key numbers behind them). Minutes must be distributed to owners within 14 days of the meeting and kept with the scheme's records. After the AGM you will typically: issue the new levy notices, update the strata roll and committee details, and — importantly — lodge the scheme's annual report on the NSW Strata Hub within three months of the AGM (a small per-lot fee applies, and late or inaccurate reporting can attract penalties).

Mistakes that can void an AGM

• Short or incomplete notice — too little time, or required documents missing.
• No quorum — transacting business without confirming one.
• Invalid proxies — wrong form, or one person holding too many.
• Off-agenda decisions — voting on something that was not circulated as a motion.
• Letting unfinancial owners vote on motions where they were not entitled to.

If challenged at NCAT, the burden is generally on the owners corporation to show it followed the rules — so contemporaneous records of notice, attendance, proxies and votes are your evidence.

Running a clean AGM with OneStrata

OneStrata is designed to make a compliant AGM routine for a small to medium size strata scheme committee:

• Notices and documents together. Issue notice with the financial statements, insurance particulars and agenda attached — and keep a timestamped record that it went out.
• The numbers are already done. Because your funds, budgets and levies live in OneStrata, the financial statements owners need are ready, not reconstructed the night before.
• Voting on the record. Put motions to owners and capture the outcome, with the result recorded against unit entitlement.
• Minutes and audit trail. Store the minutes with the meeting and rely on an immutable log of what was decided — ready if anyone ever asks.

AGM checklist

• Set the date within your scheme's required timeframe
• Prepare the financial statements for both funds
• Draft the agenda and collect any owner motions
• Send full written notice at least 7 days ahead, with all documents attached
• Include insurance particulars and the previous minutes
• On the day: confirm quorum before transacting business
• Work through motions; adopt financials; set levies; confirm insurance; elect the committee
• Distribute minutes within 14 days
• Issue new levy notices and update records
• Lodge the annual report on the Strata Hub within three months

This guide is general information for NSW strata committees, not legal, financial or tax advice. Strata law changes — the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, its Regulation and recent amendments are the authoritative source, alongside NSW Fair Trading (nsw.gov.au). Always confirm current requirements for your scheme, and seek professional advice on anything significant. OneStrata is record-keeping and management software for small to medium size strata schemes; it is not a licensed strata managing agent and never holds your funds.

Frequently asked questions