Strata AGM Checklist for NSW Owners and Committees

How to prepare for a compliant and productive annual general meeting

A well-prepared annual general meeting is one of the most valuable governance tools available to a NSW owners corporation. It is where owners review the scheme's finances, set levies, consider insurance and maintenance, elect the strata committee and decide how the property will be managed for the year ahead.

The meeting itself may take only an hour or two, but a compliant and productive AGM depends on preparation. Missing documents, unclear motions, outdated owner details or last-minute budgets can delay decisions and undermine confidence. For Sydney apartment buildings and South Coast strata communities alike, the best AGM is one where owners receive clear information early and leave knowing what was decided, who is responsible and what happens next.

This strata AGM checklist for NSW owners and committees follows the meeting from early preparation through to post-AGM reporting. It reflects NSW Government guidance current to 19 August 2026, including the 14-day AGM notice period and the 2026 requirements affecting capital works planning.

NSW strata AGM requirements at a glance

Hold an AGM once in each financial year of the owners corporation. The first AGM has separate timing and document requirements.

Give every owner written notice of the AGM at least 14 days before the meeting.

Include the prescribed meeting details, voting statements, agenda, key financial information, insurance details, capital works plan and any relevant management contract.

Check voting eligibility, proxies and quorum before business begins. Quorum must be established within 30 minutes.

Elect the strata committee and address finances, insurance, repairs, utilities, sustainability, manager disclosures and other required agenda items.

Give the minutes to all owners within seven days and complete the scheme's annual Strata Hub report within three months of the AGM.

What is the purpose of a strata AGM?

The AGM is a general meeting of the owners corporation, which means every lot owner is part of the decision-making body. The strata committee and strata manager may prepare information and recommendations, but the owners corporation makes the resolutions reserved for a general meeting. This distinction is important: a strata manager administers the scheme's decisions and delegated functions; they do not own the decisions.

A strong AGM connects governance with the physical and financial reality of the property. The proposed levy budget should match expected expenditure. The capital works plan should match the condition of common property. Insurance decisions should be supported by current information. Motions should identify the authority, cost and next step clearly enough for the committee and manager to act after the meeting.

AGM timeline: when should preparation begin?

For most established schemes, preparation should begin six to eight weeks before the intended AGM. Larger schemes, buildings considering major works, or owners corporations reviewing a management contract may need longer. Starting early allows time to reconcile accounts, obtain updated quotes, draft motions, confirm the electoral roll and distribute a complete notice pack.

Six to eight weeks before the AGM

Choose a proposed date, start time and meeting format, allowing for an in-person venue, online access or a properly supported hybrid meeting.

Check the scheme's financial year and last AGM date so the meeting falls within the required annual cycle.

Review the strata roll and ask owners to update postal addresses, email addresses and ownership or company nominee details.

Invite owners to submit motions and call for nominations for the strata committee in enough time for the notice pack.

Review unresolved actions from the previous AGM and any general or committee meetings held since then.

Identify decisions that need quotations, legal advice, engineering input or a special or unanimous resolution.

Four to six weeks before the AGM

Finalise year-end accounts and investigate material budget variances, unpaid invoices and outstanding levy balances.

Prepare realistic administrative fund and capital works fund budgets for the coming period.

Review the 10-year capital works fund plan against current inspections, completed work and updated cost estimates.

Confirm insurance renewal dates, insured replacement value, claims history and all premium, fee and commission disclosures.

Obtain contracts and disclosure documents where a strata manager or building manager appointment will be considered.

Check fire safety, lift, pool, access, work health and safety, embedded network and other scheme-specific compliance items.

At least 14 days before the AGM

The secretary, or the strata manager acting under delegated authority, must give written notice to all owners at least 14 days before the AGM. Build in delivery time and avoid treating the minimum period as a drafting deadline. A notice issued early also gives owners a better opportunity to read the financial statements, seek clarification and arrange a proxy if they cannot attend.

What the AGM notice must tell owners

The written notice should be checked as a complete meeting pack rather than a calendar invitation. NSW Government guidance says the notice must include:

The meeting date, time and place, together with clear instructions for any electronic attendance or voting method.

The agenda and each motion to be considered, including whether a special or unanimous resolution is required.

An explanation of quorum and statements about voting by an owner, nominee or proxy.

A statement that an owner who is behind on levies cannot vote, except on a motion requiring a unanimous resolution.

The required statements about priority votes and the effect of amending a motion where pre-meeting voting has been used.

Details of any approved electronic participation or pre-meeting voting process, with accessible instructions.

The notice should also include a call for strata committee nominations. If tenants occupy at least half the lots, the relevant tenant representative arrangements should be checked before the AGM so the elected representative can be announced where required.

Documents to include with the AGM notice

Minutes of the last general meeting, if an owner has not already received them.

Key financial statements prepared for the owners corporation, plus any auditor's report where an audit was completed.

Details of every insurance policy held by the owners corporation, including the information needed for meaningful review.

The current 10-year capital works fund plan.

The proposed strata managing agent or building manager contract if an appointment will be decided at the meeting.

Supporting quotations, scopes, reports, draft by-laws or explanatory notes needed for owners to understand substantive motions.

If an owner requests the full financial statements for the administrative fund, capital works fund and any other fund, they must be supplied at least two days before the meeting. Good practice is to make the complete statements available with the notice wherever practical.

The complete NSW strata AGM agenda checklist

1. Attendance, voting status and quorum

Record owners, company nominees, proxies, tenants and guests. Confirm which lots are financial and entitled to vote. At a general meeting, quorum is met where at least 25 per cent of the persons entitled to vote are present, or the eligible owners present represent at least 25 per cent of the scheme's total unit entitlements.

Quorum must be reached within 30 minutes of the scheduled start. If it is not, the meeting may be adjourned for seven days or the chairperson may declare those present to constitute a quorum. An adjourned meeting proceeds after seven days even if the usual quorum is not reached again.

2. Confirmation of previous minutes

The motion is to confirm that the previous general meeting minutes are a correct record, not to reopen every decision. Any correction should identify the specific factual change. Unfinished action items can then be addressed under an appropriate current agenda item.

3. Financial statements and audit

Present the financial statements for the completed period and explain significant variances. Owners should be able to see administrative and capital works fund balances, levy arrears, material liabilities and unusual expenditure. The agenda must also include consideration of whether an auditor should be appointed.

4. Budgets, contributions and levy arrears

Set contributions to the administrative fund for recurring costs and to the capital works fund for long-term asset renewal. Budgets should be based on current contracts, known increases, planned repairs, insurance, compliance and the capital works plan—not simply last year's levies plus a nominal percentage.

The AGM should also decide how unpaid contributions will be managed. Since the October 2025 reforms, levy notices must include prescribed financial-hardship information, and requests for payment plans must be considered under the current standard process. A scheme cannot adopt a blanket refusal of all payment plans.

5. Insurance review

Review policies not already taken out and confirm that the insured replacement value, risks and excesses remain suitable. Where a strata manager or broker assisted with the placement, present the base premium, GST, broker or service fees, commissions and who receives them. Owners should understand both the cover and the full cost before voting.

6. Repairs, defects and the 10-year capital works fund plan

Review current common-property defects, urgent safety items, investigation reports and planned projects. For buildings within relevant statutory warranty periods, the AGM agenda should include building defects and how they will be addressed. The owners corporation's duty to repair and maintain common property continues regardless of whether a committee hopes to recover costs from another party.

From 1 April 2026, a prescribed NSW standard form must be used when a scheme revises an existing 10-year plan or replaces a plan that has been in place for 10 years. An existing plan does not need immediate conversion merely because the law changed, but committees should confirm when the next revision or replacement is due.

7. Fire safety, utilities and essential services

Include the annual fire safety statement where it applies and arrange the next year's inspections and servicing. The AGM agenda should also decide electricity, gas and other utility providers. Where the scheme uses embedded or exclusive supply networks, confirm current contract terms, disclosure records and any renewal decisions requiring owner approval.

8. Environmental sustainability

Every AGM must consider environmental sustainability, including common-property energy and water consumption and expenditure. Useful discussion is specific: compare consumption with the previous year, identify high-use equipment and consider feasible projects such as efficient lighting, solar, water-saving devices, metering or electric vehicle infrastructure. Any capital proposal should address approvals, structural or electrical capacity, insurance, maintenance and cost allocation.

9. Strata manager and building manager matters

If an appointment or renewal is proposed, owners should receive the contract with the notice and understand the term, delegated functions, fee schedule, additional charges, termination process and related-party disclosures. The owners corporation appoints a strata managing agent at a general meeting; the manager does not appoint themselves.

Where a strata manager is already appointed, the AGM agenda must consider commissions and training services received in the previous 12 months and expected in the next 12 months. Committees should also confirm that the agent's six-monthly activity reports have been provided. Building manager benefit, supplier connection and financial-interest disclosures should be recorded where relevant.

10. Committee size and election

The owners corporation decides the number of committee members, up to nine, and then conducts the election. Nominations and eligibility should be checked carefully. A person who owes money to the scheme at the time of the AGM cannot be nominated or elected. Building managers, letting agents and certain persons connected with the developer or building manager may also be restricted unless an exception or required disclosure applies.

A two-lot scheme has an automatic committee comprising one owner from each lot, while a large scheme with more than 100 lots must have at least three committee members. After the AGM, the newly elected committee chooses its chairperson, secretary and treasurer. Those office-bearer appointments are generally handled at the first committee meeting rather than by the owners corporation's AGM vote.

11. Delegations and committee authority

Include the motion about which functions the owners corporation will exercise itself and which functions the strata committee may exercise during the year. Clear authority prevents individual owners or committee members from instructing contractors or the manager without an approved decision. Special resolutions, unanimous resolutions and matters reserved for a general meeting cannot simply be delegated to the committee.

12. Owner motions, by-laws and major proposals

Each substantive motion should state exactly what approval is sought. For works, include the scope, maximum budget or funding method and authority to sign or administer the contract. For a by-law, include the proposed text and identify the required voting threshold. Avoid broad 'discussion only' wording where a binding decision is needed.

Voting, proxies and participation checklist

Confirm the entitlement for each lot, including company nominees and any co-owner representation.

Check levy payments before the meeting. An unfinancial owner cannot vote except on a unanimous resolution.

For schemes of 20 lots or fewer, a person cannot hold more than one proxy. For larger schemes, a person cannot hold proxies for more than five per cent of all lots.

Proxy forms for schemes of 100 lots or more must reach the secretary at least 24 hours before the meeting; for other schemes they may be received by the meeting's start.

A proxy does not operate if the owner attends and votes personally, and the proxy holder cannot transfer the appointment to someone else.

Pre-meeting electronic voting must have been approved by resolution, must be explained in the notice and cannot be used to elect the strata committee.

Give remote participants a reasonable and accessible opportunity to hear, speak and vote using the stated technology.

The chairperson should declare each result clearly, including whether the motion passed, failed or was amended. Where a poll is properly requested, votes are calculated by unit entitlement rather than one vote per lot. Accurate handling at the meeting makes accurate minutes much easier.

Meeting-day checklist for the chairperson and secretary

Open the meeting at the stated time and confirm the attendance register, proxies and voting eligibility.

Determine quorum within 30 minutes and record how it was calculated.

Follow the published agenda and read or explain motions before debate.

Keep discussion relevant, fair and constructive, allowing owners a reasonable opportunity to be heard.

Identify conflicts and manager or contractor disclosures before the affected decision.

State the voting method, count votes accurately and declare each result.

Record the exact resolution, amendments, voting outcome and any action owner, deadline or spending authority.

Avoid making binding decisions on a new subject that was not properly notified to all owners.

What must happen after the AGM?

The AGM is not complete when the meeting closes. The secretary must give minutes to all owners within seven days. Those minutes should be concise but complete, recording attendance, quorum, motions, amendments, results, elections and relevant disclosures. They should not read as a transcript or include unnecessary personal commentary.

The committee and strata manager should then convert resolutions into an action register. This may include issuing levy notices, signing an approved contract, updating authorities, arranging insurance, commissioning reports, scheduling repairs, lodging a by-law for registration or calling the first committee meeting to appoint office bearers.

Every NSW strata scheme, including two-lot schemes, must submit its annual report through the Strata Hub within three months of the AGM. The AGM documents provide several required data points, including the AGM date, insured replacement value, capital works fund balance and applicable building-safety information. Relevant contact changes must also be updated in the Strata Hub within the required period.

Common AGM mistakes to avoid

Issuing the notice late or leaving required documents out of the pack.

Using vague motions that do not authorise a clear action, amount, contract or responsible person.

Setting levies without testing the budget against actual contracts, repairs and the capital works plan.

Allowing unverified proxies or ineligible votes to affect the result.

Using pre-meeting electronic voting for the committee election.

Reappointing a manager without circulating and reviewing the proposed contract and disclosures.

Failing to record exact resolutions, deadlines and delegated authority in the minutes.

Treating the minutes as the end of the process instead of tracking post-meeting actions and reporting.

Local AGM planning: Sydney and the NSW South Coast

The legal framework is statewide, but the planning issues can differ. Sydney schemes in Coogee, Randwick, Marrickville, Balmain, North Sydney and surrounding suburbs may need to manage high-density access, lifts, basement waterproofing, fire systems, embedded networks, major facade projects and large numbers of investor owners. Meeting technology, disciplined timekeeping and clear supporting papers are particularly valuable where many motions or participants are expected.

South Coast schemes from Nowra and Ulladulla through Batemans Bay, Moruya, Narooma, Bega, Merimbula and Eden often face coastal corrosion, storm exposure, holiday occupancy and longer contractor travel times. Budgets and capital works forecasts should allow for local availability, mobilisation costs and seasonal access. Hybrid attendance can help non-resident owners participate, but it should be tested before the AGM rather than improvised on the night.

How ETSM and Essential Strata Management can help

ETSM supports owners corporations across Sydney's Eastern Suburbs, Inner West and Lower North Shore, while Essential Strata Management provides local management across the NSW South Coast and Far South Coast. Both teams help committees prepare clear notices, budgets, motions and supporting documents, conduct orderly meetings and follow approved actions through after the AGM.

Our approach is personal and accountable: a named strata manager is backed by administration, accounting and senior support. Routine management fees are designed to be transparent and inclusive, without insurance or trade commissions. This helps owners assess meeting recommendations on their merits and understand how their scheme's money is being used.

If your committee is approaching its AGM, changing strata managers or reviewing budgets and capital works, contact ETSM for a Sydney scheme or Essential Strata Management for a South Coast scheme. We can discuss your priorities and prepare a tailored management proposal for the owners corporation.

Frequently asked questions

How much notice is required for a strata AGM in NSW?

Written notice must be given to every owner at least 14 days before an AGM. Other general meetings generally require at least seven days' written notice. Allow additional time for delivery and internal review.

How often must a NSW owners corporation hold an AGM?

An owners corporation must hold an AGM once in each financial year. A new scheme's first AGM has separate timing and document obligations and should be prepared using the specific first-AGM requirements.

What is a quorum for a NSW strata AGM?

Quorum is met where at least 25 per cent of persons entitled to vote are present, or the eligible owners present represent at least 25 per cent of total unit entitlements. It must be determined within 30 minutes of the scheduled start.

Can an owner vote if their strata levies are overdue?

Generally no. An owner who owes unpaid contributions at the meeting cannot vote, except on a motion requiring a unanimous resolution. Payment timing and the scheme's records should be checked before the meeting.

Can strata committee members be elected using pre-meeting electronic voting?

No. A scheme may use approved pre-meeting electronic voting for eligible motions, but it cannot be used for the election of the strata committee.

When do AGM minutes have to be sent to owners?

The secretary must provide the minutes to all owners within seven days after the meeting. The agenda, financial statements, minutes and insurance details must also be retained as scheme records.

Does the capital works plan have to be included with the AGM notice?

Yes. NSW Government guidance lists the 10-year capital works fund plan among the documents to include. From 1 April 2026, the prescribed form applies when an existing plan is revised or a 10-year-old plan is replaced.

When is the Strata Hub annual report due?

The scheme's annual report is due within three months of the AGM, including for two-lot schemes. AGM documents provide much of the information needed for the report.

Can a strata manager decide the AGM motions?

No. A strata manager can draft papers, explain requirements and exercise properly delegated functions, but the owners corporation makes the resolutions reserved for a general meeting.

Suggested calls to action

Sydney: Preparing for your next AGM? Ask ETSM for a clear, tailored strata management proposal.

South Coast: Need local help with your AGM, budget or capital works plan? Talk to Essential Strata Management.

Send us your current management agreement and AGM date for a confidential initial discussion.

The following official resources support the legislative and procedural information in this article:

NSW Government – How to run a strata meeting

NSW Government – Who's who in strata

NSW Government – Strata annual reporting

NSW Government – Guide to strata law changes for committees and owners

NSW Government – Simple guide to holding an AGM in a two-lot scheme

NSW Legislation – Strata Schemes Management Act 2015

NSW Legislation – Strata Schemes Management Regulation 2016

General information only. This article is current to 15 August 2026 and is not legal advice. Strata legislation, commencement dates, official forms and individual scheme circumstances can change. Owners corporations should check current NSW Government guidance and obtain professional advice relevant to their circumstances.