Victorians living in strata homes are facing "significant hurdles" when dealing with legal disputes, accessing safety and emergency plans, and other important information.
The Strata Community Association of Victoria has called for political parties to commit to the establishment of a dedicated help line for residents who are seeking support or advice.
Establishment of the new help line and commitments to enabling more sustainable strata living and addressing building defects head the peak body's wish list ahead of November's state election.
Association president Gregor Evans said the helpline would provide residents with general advice and information about strata matters and how owners corporations operated.
"We represent 25 per cent of the population, yet this huge number of Victorians face significant hurdles finding the general information...that they need," Mr Evans said.
He said the support line - which would be government funded and run by Consumer Affairs Victoria, would offer an avenue of advice for consumers prior to seeking expensive legal advice, or even escalating a matter to dispute resolution.
The helpline would also offer advice on issues such as whether residents could install electric vehicle chargers or keep pets, what to do about leaks and how to access safety and emergency plans.
The association wants government subsidy of National Australian Built Environment Rating System (NABERS) water and energy efficiency ratings for up to 100 Victorian apartment buildings.
It is also calling for the extension of the successful Solar Homes Program to apartments, and support for the installation of electric vehicle charging in medium and large apartment buildings.
"The current government and opposition have both committed to a net zero carbon emissions target in the near future," Mr Evans said.
"Without strata and the built environment effectively being incorporated into future strategy, it is hard to imagine this target being realistically met."
The association also wants a clear strategy to combat the high prevalence of strata accommodation building defects.
It is calling on political parties to commit to the establishment of a base building information portal for the storage of building manuals.
The portal would be made accessible to owners corporations and managers in the event defects were discovered in their buildings.
"We also want to see greater action taken to address any underlying issues affecting the Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) scheme, as well as phoenixing in the building and development sectors," Mr Evans said.
Phoenixing is a tactic employed by dodgy developers and builders to avoid paying for building defects. It involves the creation of a $2 company, which is shut down after profits are taken so the builder or developer can't be pursued for defects, bills or other debts.
Strata Community Association of Victoria's state election wish list:
- Establishment of a dedicated Victorian strata helpline, at a cost of $381,000 per year, or $1.524 million over the next government term
- Establishment of a minimum educational standard for owners corporation managers
- Establishment of a Victorian Strata Sustainability Fund including full rebates for NABERS Ratings of 100 private apartment buildings at $261,000 per year
- Extension of the Solar Homes Program to apartments and townhouses
- $10 million towards co-funding of electric vehicle charging infrastructure in larger apartment buildings and complexes
- Formation of a partnership between the association and Sustainability Victoria to provide education on sustainability and renewables programs and initiatives, at a cost of $200,000 per year
- Commitment to proactively address building defects
- Commitment to take greater action in addressing existing loopholes in the Domestic Building Insurance (DBI) scheme
To read the full priorities document click HERE.
