NSW Strata Committee Training 2026: A Practical Guide for Committee Members
Mandatory NSW strata committee training starts on 1 October 2026. STRATA IQ Academy explains the requirement and seven practical things every committee member should understand after completing the course.
NSW Fair Trading provides the mandatory training. STRATA IQ Academy helps committee members put the learning into practice through clearer authority, financial oversight, repair and risk awareness, record control, communication and timely professional advice.
Fair Trading provides the mandatory training.
STRATA IQ Academy helps you put the learning into practice.
What you need to know
- A new or returning strata committee member appointed from 1 October 2026 generally must complete the free NSW Fair Trading course within three months from appointment. Exemptions include committee members in two-lot strata schemes, strata managing agents, Australian College of Strata Lawyers members and people filling a casual vacancy for less than three months. Association committees in community land schemes are outside the requirement.
- Completion is the legal starting point. Good governance depends on how the committee checks authority, evidence, risks, finances and follow-through afterwards.
- The Academy Guide and tracker are supplementary practical resources. They do not replace the official course or current NSW Fair Trading requirements.
Seven practical governance checks after the course.
1. What the committee can and cannot decide
Start with authority. A strata committee can exercise many owners corporation functions, but legislation, the regulations, the scheme's by-laws or an owners corporation decision may limit what it can do. Some matters must go to a general meeting. Identify the source of authority before voting or promising an outcome.
2. Understanding the financial health of the building
Look beyond the bank balance. Read the approved budgets, levy position, unpaid creditors, capital works plan, insurance costs and known future commitments together. Ask what is funded, what is not funded and what decision will be required next.
3. Understanding repairs, maintenance and building risks
Know the active repair issues, recurring failures, safety concerns, building defects and maintenance obligations. Confirm who is investigating, what interim controls are in place, what evidence has been retained and when the committee will receive the next update.
4. Knowing what authority is delegated to the strata manager
Read the agency agreement, delegations and relevant resolutions. Be clear about what the strata manager can approve or arrange, the financial limits that apply and which decisions must return to the committee or owners corporation.
5. Knowing where important scheme records are kept
Committee members should know how to locate current minutes, financial statements, the strata plan, registered by-laws, contracts, insurance records, maintenance reports and key correspondence. Good decisions depend on reliable records, not memory.
6. Communicating decisions properly
Record the decision, the reason, the responsible person, the action and the timeframe. Explain the outcome in plain language and provide a realistic next update. A resolution is only useful when the people affected understand what happens next.
7. Knowing when professional advice is required
Pause and obtain appropriate legal, engineering, building, fire-safety, insurance, financial or other specialist advice when the committee does not have enough evidence or authority to make a responsible decision. Record the question being referred and the next step.
Can you answer Yes—or is it Not Yet?
Use these questions after the mandatory course and whenever the committee's circumstances change.
Track every appointment from start to record.
- APPOINT
- RECORD DEADLINE
- REMIND
- COMPLETE
- CERTIFICATE
- RECORD
Committee Training Tracker
Record the committee member, appointment date, calculated training due date, reminder, completion and certificate evidence in one branded Excel tracker.
Excel workbook (.xlsx) · Training due date calculates from the appointment dateWatch for
- Treating course completion as the end of committee induction
- Making a decision before checking authority, records and financial consequences
- Assuming the strata manager holds every delegation or can approve every action
- Recording a resolution without a responsible person, timeframe or communication plan
Escalate when
- The committee's authority or a delegation is uncertain
- A financial, repair, defect, safety or insurance issue may have material consequences
- Important records are missing or conflicting
- Legal, technical or other specialist advice is needed before a responsible decision can be made
Clear answers before you act
Who must complete the NSW Fair Trading course?
NSW Fair Trading says new and returning strata committee members appointed from 1 October 2026 generally must complete the free course within three months. It also lists exemptions and confirms that association committees in community land schemes are outside the requirement. Check the current official page for the particular appointment.
What should the committee secretary record?
Record the appointment date, the three-month deadline, the reminder, completion and the Certificate of Completion. NSW Fair Trading encourages the reminder no later than two months after appointment and retention of the certificate and notices for at least one year.
Does STRATA IQ Academy training replace the government course?
No. Academy committee education is supplementary practical learning. A person subject to the legal requirement must complete the prescribed NSW Fair Trading course through the official pathway.
Source-controlled learning
Reviewed against the following current official material on 9 September 2026. Open the source to check the latest version before relying on it.
The certificate says you completed the course.
Good governance is what you do afterwards.
Knowing the check is useful. Practising the judgement is better.
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