Running a committee meeting
There is no maximum or minimum number of committee meetings required each year. The committee meets as often as it needs.
The committee can also vote outside a committee meeting (i.e. without holding a formal meeting).
The information on this page is relevant to community titles schemes registered under the:
- Standard Module
- Accommodation Module
- Commercial Module.
There is no committee under the Specified Two-lot Schemes Module.
Quorum for a committee meeting
A quorum is the minimum number of members that must be ‘present’ before a meeting can start. A member of the committee is considered present if they attend in person or by electronic means if authorised to do so.
For a committee meeting a quorum is at least half the voting members of the committee:
- If there are 6 voting members of the committee, a quorum is 3.
- If there are 7 voting members of the committee, a quorum is 4.
Chairing a meeting
The chairperson must chair all committee meetings they attend—whether in person or electronically.
If the chairperson is absent, another member can be chosen to chair the meeting by those present who are eligible to vote.
Conflict of interest
If a committee member is about to vote on a motion being decided at a committee meeting or by vote outside a committee meeting, they must disclose any direct or indirect interest in the issue.
If a member discloses a direct or indirect interest in the issue, they are not entitled to vote on a motion involving the issue.
This applies if the interest could conflict with the appropriate performance of the member’s duties.
Who can attend
Non-voting members
Non-voting members can attend committee meetings in person or by electronic means (if electronic attendance has been authorised by the committee).
Non-voting members must be absent for certain agenda items if decided by the committee. For example, if the committee are discussing the person’s engagement the person must not be present. (This does not apply to schemes under the Commercial Module.)
Attendance by owners and their representatives
Non-members can attend committee meetings in person or by electronic means (if electronic attendance has been authorised by the committee).
A representative of an owner will be able to attend committee meetings in place of an owner.
An owner or their representative will need to give the secretary written notice about attending a committee meeting at least 24 hours before the meeting.
The notice needs to include:
- their residential or business address
- the name of the lot owner they are representing
- evidence the owner has asked them to represent them at the meeting, unless their name is already on the body corporate roll
- whether they are
- a member of the owner’s family
- acting under the power of attorney of the owner
- director, secretary or other nominee of a company that owns the lot.
Non-members and their representatives can be asked to leave for certain agenda items (e.g. a discussion or vote on a by-law contravention by that owner), if decided by the committee.
Other persons can be invited to attend a committee meeting by the committee.
A non-member may only observe the meeting and may only speak if invited to. They can be directed to leave if they do not comply.
Electronic attendance
All attendees of a committee meeting can do so electronically if authorised by the committee.
‘Electronic means’ includes attendance by:
- teleconference
- videoconference.
The committee will be able to authorise electronic attendance:
- for a particular meeting or any meeting
- by any or a specific electronic means.
Minutes of a committee meeting
The committee must keep full and accurate minutes of each committee meeting. Full and accurate minutes include:
- date, time and place of the meeting
- names of people present and details of the capacity they attended the meeting in (e.g. a committee member or a lot owner)
- details of proxies tabled
- for motions submitted by lot owners
- when the motion was submitted to the secretary
- the name of the person who submitted it
- if the type of motion cannot be decided by the committee, the reasons it was not decided
- details of any notice given to the submitter of the motion—if the committee requires more time than the ‘decision period’ to decide the motion
- for motions requesting approval to keep or bring an animal onto a lot or common property
- when the request was made to the committee
- details of the animal in the request
- if approval was given by the committee, any conditions they placed on the approval
- for each motion voted on at the meeting
- the wording of each motion voted on
- the results of voting, including the number of votes for and against
- details of any correspondence, reports, notices or other documents tabled
- time the meeting closed
- details of the next scheduled meeting
- secretary's name and contact address.
The minutes of a committee meeting must be given to each lot owner within 21 days of the meeting, unless the lot owner has told the secretary in writing that they do not want to receive a copy of the minutes.
Notice of opposition
A notice of opposition is a document signed by or for the owners of at least half the lots in the scheme against a resolution of the committee.
It only applies to schemes under the Standard Module regulation.
The notice of opposition must be given to the secretary within 7 days after receiving a copy of the minutes of the meeting or a copy of the result of a vote outside a committee meeting at which the resolution was passed.
However, a notice of opposition cannot be given if it is for a resolution approving a request to keep or bring an animal onto a lot or common property (including any requests that are automatically deemed approved), or:
- it involves spending of not more than either $200 or $5 multiplied by the number of lots in the scheme (whichever is greater)
and
- it involves a decision of a routine, administrative nature.