WA State Recap – Autumn 2021

How do you raise the profile of the strata sector in a positive way?  That’s the question occupying us currently. 

We want all of Western Australia to know the best of apartment living: security and safety; the sense of belonging and community; the lock up and leave lifestyle while someone else cleans the pool.

In one sense, we are talking about culture.  If we were in Europe, apartment living is the norm. In WA, apartments are only about 7% (Strata Insights Report 2020) of the housing stock.  Not the norm.  To phrase this another way, most people in WA haven’t experienced apartment living and probably don’t even know others who have.  What a great opportunity to fill the gap.

SCA (WA) was able to use the recent election to raise the profile of the strata sector. We urged the creation of a strata Owners Helpline, insurance reform, and licencing for important trades like waterproofing and concrete pouring.  We met with politicians and their staff, and were able to get media coverage for these important issues. Follow this work in our newsletters, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.

Despite the brief lockdown in February which saw a couple of face to face events cancelled or postponed, we held several excellent events in early 2021.  Our All Things Fire Compliance Series event was engaging and topical, and our very own team member Theresa gave us an account of her brush with the recent Wooroloo fires.  The Annual Outlook Seminar showed us the future is bright for strata in WA.  Our CEO, Alisha Fisher, braved the skies and was able to meet our new team face to face. We even managed to celebrate with our award winners at lunch on the Swan River. In addition to our events, we have many courses and webinars on the training platform and plenty of opportunities to earn CPD points.

What’s coming up in the next months: 

20th May | Law Week 

10th June | Workplace Wellness Series 

8th July | Strata Fundamentals – Maintenance, Defects, and 10 Year Plans

2021 has not been a business-as-usual year for the WA strata sector so far. This year will consist of change, growth, and new ways of working.  While exciting for some, it’s overwhelming for others. We acknowledge it is a tough test of adaptability and resilience to maintain business as usual on top of a global pandemic. Some other priority issues for our members include managing a huge volume of emails, dealing with bullies, and attracting great staff, which will be top of mind as we plan the education events for the next 12 months. 

There is much to do and much opportunity. How lucky we are!