8 New Research Recommendations

The research project review of the questionnaire results has revealed a number of new and evolving issues that also need to be included in the analysis, reasoning and recommendations.

So, 8 supplementary recommendations have been distilled from the suggestions provided by the questionnaire respondents. The following text identifies each recommendation and provides a supporting rationale for each recommendation.

Supplementary Recommendation 1: 

Professional and other non-government bodies such as Strata Community Australia and Green Strata to develop a list of experienced consultants and/or recommended experts who can be engaged to advise owner committees that wish to undertake climate change building adaptation planning and work.

Since owners in S&CT buildings, strata managers and also resident managers are unlikely to have particular climate change building adaptation expertise, they will need advice and guidance. If seeking climate change advice, these key stakeholders are likely to seek information from experts in the field. This is particularly so, given that climate change advice represents a relatively new expert discipline. Since the expertise is developing as both a discrete discipline and also part of more general building technology disciplines, a dual expertise identification approach should be taken.

Comments made by a representative of Green Cross Australia suggest that relative to the potential demand for this type of advice by S&CT buildings, there is likely to be a shortage of experienced people available at the time of preparing this report. We see this factor as providing additional support for this recommendation, as increased visibility given to experts in the field would likely result in more professionals seeking to develop a climate change S&CT building adaptation expertise. This signifies that in the early years in particular, the list would need to be updated regularly.

In addition to providing details of appropriate consultants and experts, the list could also provide information on the kind of experience advisors should have and also the types of questions that S&CT building committees and managers could ask potential advisors.

Supplementary Recommendation 2: 

Government (national, state and/or local) and private sector organisations with vested interests (like insurers and lenders) to subsidise climate change adaptation works on one or more typical strata title buildings in order to provide a model of the type of climate change adaptation works that can be undertaken and to showcase the benefits.

Since awareness levels about climate change, climate change impacts, appropriate adaptation works and the resultant benefits appear to be low amongst strata and community title stakeholders, information and examples to help them understand what adaptation works can be undertaken are particularly important.  The existence of examples of what climate change adaptation works can be achieved would be a valuable resource that could be drawn upon by any climate change adaptation champions working or living in S&CT buildings.

It is notable that the creation of model examples of S&CT building actions and options have already been pursued by government in connection with ecologically sustainable development and other environmentally sustainable initiatives.

Supplementary Recommendation 3: 

Resident manager and strata manager contracts to include provisions covering the type and extent of their responsibilities and authorities in the event of an emergency incident.

Enquiries made by the research team suggest that it is rare for current strata manager and resident manager contracts to contemplate weather emergencies. The absence of such provisions creates unnecessary uncertainty with respect to who is responsible for what actions, should such an emergency event occur. Emergency event management can be expected to proceed more smoothly and in a more expeditious manner should clarification be given to the obligations of strata managers and resident managers, with specifications given with respect to what actions they should and should not take. If such matters are contracted for, a provision should also be made for a manager receiving appropriate remuneration for emergency event responsibilities undertaken.

Developing a set of pro-forma provisions for strata manager and resident manager contracts is recommended. Such provisions could then be adopted or modified to suit individual S&CT buildings, strata manager and resident manager situations. Such provisions should include mechanisms that would allow changes to be made to some of the more specific details of the emergency actions, in light of evolving technologies and knowledge.

Supplementary Recommendation 4: 

Insurers should base insurance risk assessment on a building’s specific characteristics, not just its geographical location. Basing insurance premiums on a building’s specific characteristics, which incorporate climate change resilience, will provide unit owners with an incentive to invest in adaptation to improve a building’s climate change resilience.

Since insurance premiums are not being based (in most cases) on specific S&CT buildings’ resilience, there is a diminished incentive for owners to invest in improving S&CT buildings’ resilience.  Requiring more building specific risk assessment by insurers would result in a fairer building resilience assessment, more appropriate and equitable premium allocations, as well as greater clarity for S&CT building owners with respect to how investment in building adaptation can result in decreased insurance premiums. Ideally, any building resilience investments and climate change adaptation works that reduce insurance premiums should have universal insurance sector approval, so that S&CT buildings that have undertaken such works would have the benefits recognised in premiums quoted, regardless of the insurance provider.

Challenges associated with implementing this recommendation include identifying the infrastructure characteristics that affect building resilience from an insurance risk perspective, ensuring that adaptations are universally recognised by insurers and the additional costs incurred by insurers in connection with conducting building specific insurance assessments.

The development of any new risk assessment guidelines should be made in conjunction with the work of the Australian Resilience Taskforce, which is an initiative of the Insurance Council of Australia  that is intended to provide a platform for collaboration, and alignment across government, industry and non-government organizations to enable increased resilience in Australian communities (www.buildingresilience.org.au). 

Supplementary Recommendation 5: 

Insurance companies to provide strata title schemes with a policy option to insure for infrastructure upgrades, in the event of a claim, not simply for the cost of replacement. Such upgrades could be conducted in a manner consistent with engineering greater building climate change resilience.

Currently, ‘like for like’ replacement policies for S&CT buildings and the strata and community title law obligations to ‘keep in good and serviceable repair’ signify that S&CT buildings will almost invariably install equivalent replacement structures following weather damage. So, an opportunity for improvement and engineering better climate change resilience is lost.

A challenge in implementing this recommendation would likely stem from an apparent widely held insurance industry culture that is opposed to ‘betterment’. A second problem in implementing this recommendation concerns how ‘betterment’ could be handled in a S&CT building insurance policy. One way of dealing with this issue could be to include a policy clause that allows replacement of infrastructure with infrastructure that is (say) up to 25% more expensive than a ‘like for like’ replacement.

Supplementary Recommendation 6: 

Government and industry based training courses directed to strata title unit owners, committee members, managers and other stakeholders to include a ‘prepare your strata title building for climate change’ component.

As part of a wider effort to promote strata and community title stakeholder education, training on climate change issues and challenges should be made available to all key stakeholders. Since the knowledge in question is largely universal to all stakeholders, a generic training module that is appropriate for owners, committee members, strata managers and resident managers could be developed.

Supplementary Recommendation 7: 

A pro forma disaster management plan or plans for strata title communities should be developed by government and/or non-government bodies and made available on a government and privately maintained “prepare your strata title building for climate change” website.

There are already many resources concerning weather emergencies and other disasters, but in only very limited situations do S&CT buildings adopt them.  It appears that even when adopted in the S&CT building context, they are for limited kinds of emergencies.

Yet much of the information and knowledge is universally applicable. So, developing pro-forma disaster and emergency management plans that can simply be adopted or modified to suit individual S&CT buildings’ needs is recommended. Similarly, associated information for owners, residents and other stakeholders can be prepared to inform them of possible plans and important details.

It is notable that Green Cross Australia’s www.hardenup.org website contains pro forma information for tenants about extreme weather preparedness. This was developed in conjunction with the Residential Tenancies Authority.  This resource would provide valuable input to the design of any government initiated pro forma disaster management plan that is tailored to the S&CT context.

Supplementary Recommendation 8: 

As part of the building development and construction approval process, require that an evacuation plan and general disaster management plan be included in a scheme’s original documentation prepared by developers.

Associated to the recommendation about pro forma disaster management plans is this recommendation that developers should prepare and include such plans as part of the original documents for S&CT buildings. Implementation of this recommendation would result in all new S&CT buildings having such a plan and the plan should be made readily available to all owners and residents.  If pro forma plans are available (as per the previous recommendation) then developers could simply adapt them to the particular needs of each building that they develop. This practice would also focus developer attention on climate change and weather emergencies before S&CT buildings are completed. Over time, this can be expected to influence the design of S&CT buildings in a manner consistent with better preparedness for climate change.

IPCC Report Contains Detailed Information on Climate Change

Earlier this year the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC] released its latest report on global climate change trends, information and impacts.  It's the fifth version of the report published by IPCC.

It's a detailed analysis compiled by the world's leading experts and essential reading for anyone who wants to properly understand the current state of knowledge about climate change.  Over 600 researchers have contributed to the report and it's taken almost 2 years to finalise.

The full reference to the report is -

IPCC, 2012 - Field, C.B., V. Barros, T.F. Stocker, D. Qin, D.J. Dokken, K.L. Ebi, M.D. Mastrandrea, K.J. Mach,
G.-K. Plattner, S.K. Allen, M. Tignor, and P.M. Midgley (Eds.)

Available from Cambridge University Press, The Edinburgh Building, Shaftesbury Road, Cambridge CB2 8RU ENGLAND, 582 pp.

and you can find a copy of the latest report here.

Information About Weather Events & Damage

One of the ways we're moving this study forward is to develop a listing of weather events resulting from climate change that can inflict building damage such as:

• Flooding
• High wind
• Hail damage
• Extreme heat damage on buildings
• Bush fire
• etc

And, then for each of  these weather events, we will develop a listing of the type of building damage resulting from them.

If you have information on either of these things, email us.

WA Research on Greening Strata Schemes

There's very little research available on strata and community title buildings to start.  And, there's even less on the environmental issues they face.

So, this study by Chiara Pacifici of Curtin University called Greening Strata Title Schemes in WA: Turning barriers into opportunities for individual owners toimplement environmentally sustainable provisions inexisting residential strata dwellings is a welcome addition to the knowledge and thinking base in the area.  Plus it has wider relevance and application.

In the study, Chiara Pacifici looks at the structural legal impediments that affect 'green initiatives' in strata buildings.  In particular, how the kinds of approvals required for most environmental upgrades in strata buildings by strata corporations or owners need three quarter (or higher) decisions and are therefore a lot harder to achieve.  She also considers how these impediments can be appropriately modified and suggests some law reforms.

Interestingly, the strata decision making problems identified in the study apply to other strata issues too - including climate change adaptation works.  So, the analysis and her ideas are a useful addition to our study of the challenges facing strata and community title stakeholders in dealing with climate change weather impacts.

Overcoming Strata Decision Making Barriers to Climate Change Adaptation

One of the issues this study has already identified is the existence of structural barriers to adaptation in existing building for climate change.

In most Australian states making the changes and upgrades to common property structures and acquiring the additional equipment needed to make 'green' improvements to the building is not included within normal repair and maintenance and will be classified as upgrades.  And, upgrades require higher level approvals. 

In most states a a special resolution (three quarter majority) is required but in the ACT and for South Australian community schemes where the upgrades costs more than $5,000, an approval by unanimous resolution is necessary.

So, environmental upgrades are harder to approve and implement than ordinary repairs - reducing the likelihood of them happening.  That includes many of the changes a strata building might need to make to adapt itself to improve its resilience to climate change weather effects.

But, one Australian exception exists in the ACT where the new (2011) strata legislation permits upgrades and additions for installation of sustainability or utility infrastructure on the common property with only an ordinary (simple majority) decision.  This facilitates these kinds of upgrades.  But the definition of “sustainability infrastructure” is limited covering only infrastructure and equipment that improves the environmental sustainability of the units or reduces the environmental impact of the owners corporation and the unit owners (including related utility service connections and equipment.).  The laws cite examples such as - solar panels, clotheslines, rainwater tanks.

But even these reduced approval thresholds may not apply to climate change adaptation work that is not also sustainability infrastructure.

You can read the relevant provision (section 23) here.

One of the recommendations we're likely to make in this study is to alter the definitions of what is within normal maintenance and repair to include works and equipment that improves climate change resilience and to reduce the decision making thresholds for that kind of work and equipment.

Innovative Insurance may Assist with Extreme Weather Losses

Our studies so far have revealed that insurance plays a critical role as the risk management default for extreme weather events affecting strata and community title complexes.  

But the experiences of many of those complexes in far north Queensland over the last 18 months also reveals that conventional insurance products and market forces can undermine that protection.  Plus, traditional insurance protections do not encourage or facilitate climate change adaptation.

So new thinking and ideas may be necessary to better deal with the climate change effects of extreme weather events for strata and community title complexes.

Complexitas is an Australian business that works with corporations and government in climate change risk management around the world to help reduce risks by focusing on risk identification, resilience and adaptivity.  In a recent presentation called Can Adaptation and Insurance be Sustainable Partners to Combat X-Events, Compexitas looked at whether the impacts of extreme weather events (a class of X- Events) can be diminished by use of insurance that does not rely on the proof of loss.

This involves something called index-based insurance for highly vulnerable communities and organisations where insurance cover and payouts are not based on proving loss but, rather, the occurrence of weather disasters.  

For instance, in Peru, where a defined group of weather–sensitive farming communities are now offered insurance that is not based on proving loss due to flooding rains but are given payouts at the start of an anticipated disaster season (based on climate mode information and predictability). They then have money to buy emergency seeds and to recover from any event that occurs in the anticipated extreme summer season.

This kind of insurance minimises the impacts of insurance sector failures that are usually caused by market (asset) problems, moral hazard and adverse selection and the inability to respond to and anticipate major shifts in climate and client behaviour.

It's an innovative idea that might be worth considering.  You can find out more by looking at the presentation slides here and reading text of the presentation here.

Wikipedia Information on Australian Climate Change

You've undoubtedly heard a lot about climate change by now.  But, to be a fair, a lot of the information is either too technically complex to understand, too biased (either way) and/or just media hype that is not sufficiently factual.

So, it's hard to understand things well enough to make your own decisions.

Since we live in the modern information age why not use Wikipedia (The Free Encyclopedia) to find out more?  

In fact, this page about the Effects of global warming on Australia is great introduction to the topic; outlining the key concepts, findings and some likely impacts in your part of the country.  And, if you want to find out more it includes links to other sites and many of the leading studies and reports.

Innovative Island Development for Rising Sea Levels

One of the less controversial predictions about climate change is rising sea levels which put low lying land at risk on inundation.

The Maldives is low lying (only about 5 feet above sea level) so it's particularly at risk.  So, Dutch development company, Dutch Docklands, is proposing an innovative development there.

It involves a floating private island, a floating 18-hole golf course (complete with underwater, see-through tunnels between holes), a hotel and convention center, 185 villas, and a further 72 houses on four ringed islands.  The islands are attached to the seabed with flexible lines, or retractable mono-piles, which allow the structures to move gently up and down.

It's a good example of the kind of innovations climate change challenges will promote and you can read more about it here.

Enquiry about Electrical Infrastructure

When extreme weather like floods affect strata buildings the electrical supply systems are at risk.

Now the Queensland Department of Energy & Water Supply have produced a discussion paper addressing two of the recommendations from the Queensland Flood Insurance Commission's (QFCI) Final Report relating to improving the resilience of high rise buildings located in flood hazard areas specifically focusing on electricity distribution network systems inside an electricity customer’s premises. 

The QFCI noted that substations located in basements of high rise buildings in the Brisbane central business district flooded during the 2011 floods, ceased operating and remained inoperative for lengthy periods of time. This caused major expense and disruption for many building owners and tenants,” said the Department of Energy & Water Supply.

To view a more detailed discussion on each of these recommendations click here to view the full paper and submissions are due by 31 August 2012.

And thanks Chelsey Blount from StrataBlogger.com.au for finding this.

ACT Leads the Way in Strata Sustainability

One of the difficulties already identified in the strata climate change research are structural legal impediments to existing strata and community title corporations adapting their buildings to be more resilient and sustainable.

Since the adaptation work is likely to be an upgrade to common property structure and/or involve new structures it needs approval by special (sometimes unanimous) vote of owners.  That can be difficult to obtain and places extra hurdles in the way of those improvements.

But the Australian Capital Territory has fixed that in its latest version of their strata title laws, the Unit Titles (Management) Act 2011.

They've introduced section 23 called 'Installation of sustainability and utility infrastructure on common property' that lowers the decision threshold for installing (or approving onwers installing) sustainability infrastructure and utlitiy infrastructure to an simple majority vote.  Sustainability infrastructure include things that improve the environmental sustainability or reduces environmental impacts of the strata corporation and the unit owners like solar panels, clothes lines, rainwater tanks, etc.  Utility infrastructure includes equipment necessary for, or related to, the provision of utility services.

It's a great initiative that we're likely to see incorporated into other parts of Australia.


Francesco ...

Climate Change Insurance Losses Force Improved Prediction Strategies

Whether or not extreme weather events are caused by climate change, they are having significant impacts on the insurance sector.  And since insurance has been the principal risk management strategy for weather induced damage for strata and community real estate for over 50 years that's important.

As this article by Nassim Khardem in BRW explains, 2011 was one of the costliest years ever for insurers with 820 natural disasters, an estimated $380 billion in losses and $105 billion in insurance payouts around the world.  Locally, the the Insurance Council of Australia estimates that insurers paid about 85% of the claims from the Queensland and Victorian floods and that the Melbourne hailstorm will involve $550 million in payouts.

That's caused insurers to look at making better predictions of weather impacts and potential risk and payouts.

One attempt to do that is the research centre, Risk Frontiers, based at Macquarie University.  They attempt to price the risk of natural disasters by using models to simulate large numbers of plausible natural hazard events like hailstorms, tropical cyclones, earthquakes and bush fires, and then estimate the losses to insurers' portfolios.

There's no doubt that this will help identify the risks to property and better price them for insurers.  

But how this also helps stakeholders better prepare for those risks, avoid them and.or limit the damage and loss is less clear.

Increasing Awareness of Housing Impacts of Climate Change

Awareness of the impact climate change can have on Australian housing (including strata and community title housing) keeps increasing a the following information the Climate Action Network Australia includes on its website demonstrates.


The apartments and houses in which Australians live will be at risk as climate change intensifies. A combination of more intense storms, more frequent bushfires and higher sea levels will not only threaten housing directly, it will also make homes more expensive to insure, to maintain, and to keep cool. And as Australians settle in increasing numbers near the coast and in the hotter outer suburbs of our major cities, their vulnerability will increase.


There's a lot more on the website too.

A New Research Website

There's a new website for this research project where the latest news, information and downloads are available.


Check it out here and let others interested in strata title and climate change know.

Strata Climate Change Questionnaire in Detail

Now that the survey of strata stakeholders has closed here's some information about the process and results.

The questionnaire sought to assess the appropriateness of 16 recommendations designed to better prepare strata titled complexes to deal with an increased incidence of climate change has been developed. These recommendations were structured in a way to direct attention to the range of stakeholders involved in strata title complexes. These stakeholders comprise: government officials, bankers, sinking fund forecasters, insurers, strata scheme committee members, strata title managers, resident managers and developers. The breadth of stakeholders addressed by the recommendations was deliberately broad, as part of an effort to stimulate respondents to generate additional recommendations conceived from a range of perspectives. 

The questionnaire was sub-divided into two main parts. The first part was concerned with the generation of ideas concerned with better preparing buildings for a world of climate change. The second part was concerned with better preparing strata title complexes to undertake disaster management in connection with an extreme climatic event.    

A pilot test of the questionnaire was undertake by circulating a series of iterations amongst the research team and also the 10 member industry reference group that represent a breadth of distinct stakeholder perspectives. 

The online questionnaire was promoted to strata title communities representing the breadth of stakeholder groups in the following ways.

• Emailed to the 220 attendees of the 2011 Strata Strata Community Title in Australia for the 21st Century conference
• A presentation was delivered at the Strata Community Australia National conference in Adelaide on 28th May and a postcard was circulated at the conference
• Unit Owners Association of Queensland promoted the survey in their newsletter
• Owners Corporation Network promoted the survey on their website
• Queensland Body Corporate Association promoted the survey on their website 
• Francesco Andreone (Strata Experts) promoted the survey on his blog
• Teys Lawyers promoted the survey on their website
• Body Corporate Services promoted the survey in their newsletter
• CHU Insurers promoted the survey on their website and at their trade booth at the May 2012 Strata and Community Association conference attended by 350 delegates
• Australian Resident Accommodation Managers Association confirmed promotion on their websiteStrata Community Association confirmed promotion on their NSW and QLD websites

This extensive promotional effort has resulted in 595 individuals undertaking the on-line questionnaire. 

The questionnaire can be downloaded here.

Analysis Matrix Develops from Interviews

Interviews with strata stakeholders revealed six interesting themes that have been employed in a matrix to structure the design of the on-line questionnaire. 

One dimension of the matrix concerns the different key strata title stakeholder groups, the other dimension of the matrix concerns the six themes. The matrix has been employed in the survey to ensure coverage of the 6 thematic issues and to also ensure a range of stakeholder perspectives are adequately addressed.  A copy of the matrix can be downloaded here.

As the research progress, this matrix will form one of the bases of the analyses and research publications.

Interview Results Reveal a Few Key Themes

16 interviews with a cross section of strata title industry experts have been undertaken and transcribed. Transcription analysis has resulted in the distillation of the following six thematic areas that warrant addressing through recommendations to be included in the study's final reports: 

1. need for greater unit owner awareness; 
2. need to facilitate information availability to key decision makers; 
3. need to facilitate improved strata and community decision making with respect to preparing for greater climate change; 
4. need to facilitate the funding of building adaptation work; 
5. need to facilitate improved weather event emergency management; 
6. use of insurance to facilitate risk management.  

These six themes have been employed in a matrix to structure the design of the on-line questionnaire. 

Research Progress Showcased at SCA Convention

The progress of the NCCARF & Griffith University research on Strata Climate Change was showcased at the SCA National Convention in Adelaide this week.

The presentation slides and key points follow.

Survey of Strata Stakeholders Underway

As this research progresses we're surveying strata stakeholders about strata climate change issues and awareness and possible changes to strata laws and operations.  

The survey is open until 6 July and can be accessed here.  Plus there's the chance to win a prize if you participate.  All participants will go into the 13th July 2012 prize draw for the chance to win a $200 JB Hi Fi gift voucher.

Please spend 15 minutes answering the survey and help improve the research outcomes?

Research Presentation at SCA Convention

Later in May, there'll be a short presentation about the NCCARF & Griffith University research project on climate change in strata and community title buildings.

The presentation will be made by Francesco Andreone at the Strata Community Australia Convention in Adelaide between 27 and 29 May.


You can find out more about SCA and the Convention here.


A full copy of the presentation will be published in this blog after it is given.

First Stage Interviews Completed

The first stage of interviews for this research is now completed and have revealed some fascinating and interesting thoughts and ideas from  leading strata industry figures.


The research team thanks all interviewees for their time and for sharing their knowledge and experience.  Without their contributions the research project would not be as focused and valuable as it is turning out.


The research interviewees so far are -

Brad Robson, CGU

Paul Keating, CHU

Dr Hazel Easthope, UNSW

Mark Lever, SCA

James Freestun, Solutions IE

Paul Morton, Lannock Strata Finance

Kirsty Chessher, UDIA

Trevor Rawnsley, ARAMA

Kaylene Arkcoll, Leary & Partners

Stephen Goddard, OCN

Julie McLean, Ace Body Corporate

Alan Buckle, Vesture Ltd

Christine Byrne, Green Strata

Jim Montague, Owner & Resident

Chris Duggan, SCA NSW

Michael Teys, Teys Lawyers

Over the next few months, we'll be highlighting some of the interview comments and thoughts at this blog so keep an eye on it.

Australian Government Report on Strata Insurance

After almost 6 months of enquiries and investigation and over 445 submissions, the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs published its report In the Wake of Disasters Volume Two: The affordability of residential strata title insurance has been released.


There'll be more posted about it here soon but in the meantime you can get and read a copy here.

A New Index for Building Resilience to Extreme Weather

One of the impacts of climate change is more extreme weather that causes floods, fires, hailstorms, wind gusts, cyclones and tsunamis.  And, we've experienced those things recently in strata and community title complexes around Australia with devastating effects.


Understanding what makes a building more vulnerable and more resilient to extreme weather can help prepare for and better cope with such things.


So, a new initiative by the Insurance Council of Australia might just help.   


The ICA is creating a resilience rating tool to enable homeowners to assess the resilience of their property in the face of extreme weather events.  And, while the tool will take three years to build, it will enable the 
insurance industry to be at the forefront of changes to building standards.


And, you can read more about the initiative here.

Industry Reference Group Formed

An Industry Reference Group for this study has now been formed with the following members.

• Kaylene Arkcoll from Leary & Partners
• Alan Buckle from the Vesture Group
• Bill Chandler from the Planning Institute of Australia
• Kirsty Chesser from the Urban Development Institute of Australia
• Michael Courtney from NSW Fair Trading
• James Freestun from Solutions IE
• Stephen Goddard from Owners Corporation Australia
• Professor Chris Guilding from Griffith University
• Mark Lever from Strata Community Australia
• Trevor Rawnsley from Association of Resident & Accommodation Managers of Australia
• Brad Robson from CGU Insurance & Strata Unit Underwriters
• Professor Jan Warnken from Griffith University

The group will meet regularly to assist the study and ensure that the best outcomes are achieved.


Thanks to all members for their time and contributions.

SCA Gets Active on Disaster Insurance Issues

The crises suffered by strata and community title buildings over the last 2 years in far north Queensland, the Northern Territory and north Western Australia over insurance cover, premiums and excesses after a series of natural disasters have become a key focus for Strata Community Australia.


So, SCA has established a special webpage about the issues, run public forums in Queensland in November 2011 and made a detailed submission to the Federal Government parliamentary inquiry into strata insurance in northern Australia 


Find out more about the SCA's position about this difficult issue here.

Research Interviews Begin

One of the first things to do in this study is to conduct interviews with a range of strata stakeholders to learn more about the issues to consider and get important information from people owning, living and working in strata and community title buildings.


They've now started and will be finished in February 2012.


If you think you're someone who can contribute to this stage of the study, contact Francesco Andreone to be part of the process.