Australian Apartment Advocacy helps shape NSW strata committee training

Consumer-led advice supports a practical, flexible approach to mandatory training for strata committee members.

Australian Apartment Advocacy has welcomed NSW Fair Trading’s move toward mandatory annual training for strata committee members, after providing practical input that helped shape the proposed training format. A key recommendation from Australian Apartment Advocacy was that the course be delivered as six short modules of around 10 minutes each, rather than as one dense session. AAA also reviewed the proposed script as part of a peer review process, making further recommendations to simplify the text and ensure its practicality.  Training is expected to launch later in 2026 and requirements anticipated to begin from late 2026.

For apartment owners and residents, the change is significant. Strata committees make decisions that affect people’s homes, finances, repairs, maintenance priorities, records, meetings and the everyday governance of apartment communities. NSW Fair Trading advocates that the training will help committee members understand their legal duties, the governance role of the committee, record-keeping obligations and when issues should be escalated.

Australian Apartment Advocacy’s contribution focused on making the training accessible to the volunteers who serve on strata committees. Committee members often balance strata responsibilities with work, family and other commitments. Short, self-paced modules are more likely to be completed, retained and revisited when a committee member needs a refresher on a specific topic.

“It is important that the training is flexible and can be delivered in a variety of settings.” — Samantha Reece, Australian Apartment Advocacy

That flexibility matters because strata communities are diverse. Some committees meet online, some meet in person, some are supported by professional strata managers, and others rely heavily on volunteer effort. Training that can be delivered across different settings—online, in group sessions, as part of committee induction, or as a refresher before major decisions—can better support both new and experienced committee members.

Why mandatory training is being introduced

NSW is introducing strata committee training as part of broader strata reforms designed to improve governance, accountability and confidence in apartment living. NSW Fair Trading has advised that committee members will need to complete a free one-hour online course within three months of appointment, with the training to be completed annually once the requirement is in place.

The annual training is intended to give committee members a practical baseline of knowledge. It will support better decisions about meetings, records, repairs, maintenance, governance, risk and escalation.

Looking ahead

As NSW Fair Trading finalises and launches the mandatory training, the success of the program will depend on more than its legal status. It will depend on whether committee members can access it easily, understand it quickly and apply it confidently.

For Australian Apartment Advocacy, the outcome demonstrates the value of listening to apartment owners and residents when designing policy that affects their homes.