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BRISBANE MAINTENANCE SEMINAR NEXT WEEK – HALFWAY WRAP-UP – Smart Strata | Body Corporate Management

BRISBANE MAINTENANCE SEMINAR NEXT WEEK – HALFWAY WRAP-UP

Halfway Through Our October Seminar Series — A Strong Start

We’ve officially reached the halfway mark of the Smart Strata Community Education Seminar Series, with three highly successful events completed across the Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, and Mackay. This series, centred on Clarifying Maintenance & Improvement Obligations for common property, lot boundaries, and exclusive use areas, has sparked practical discussions and valuable learning among Queensland’s strata communities. Next up — our Brisbane Maintenance Seminar happening next Wednesday!

With around 250 registrations so far and overwhelmingly positive feedback, this has proven to be one of our most popular and engaging seminar series yet. And with two major events still to come — Brisbane and Cairns — there’s still time to join the conversation.

🎟 Register Now for Upcoming Seminars

What We’ve Covered So Far

Our expert legal and Strata industry panelists have been helping attendees navigate one of the most complex areas of strata governance — determining who’s responsible for repairs, upgrades, and improvements.

Each seminar has unpacked this essential topic with clarity and practicality, empowering attendees with knowledge they can apply immediately within their own schemes.

Key Takeaways So Far

Attendees have learnt to:

  • Distinguish between maintenance, repair, and improvement — and understand why the difference matters.
  • Identify whether the body corporate or lot owner is responsible for specific works.
  • Manage and assess requests from owners wishing to improve common property.
  • Clarify who pays and how to avoid common financial pitfalls.
  • Implement transparent, compliant, and well-documented committee decisions.

Being informed in these areas is essential to maintain harmony, minimise costs, and protect a committee’s reputation.

On the Sunshine Coast, the series launched with Jessica Cannon, Partner at Chambers Russell Lawyers, and Todd Garsden, Partner at Mahoneys Lawyers & Advisors.

At the Gold Coast, Mario Esera, Partner at HWLE Lawyers, joined Jessica Cannon to continue the conversation, while in Mackay, Brenton Schoch, Partner at Grace Lawyers, led the discussion with regional relevance and practical insights and examples.

From Archers the Strata Professionals, we were joined by:

  • Andrew Staehr, Partner, Sunshine Coast.
  • Adam Ford, Partner, Gold Coast.
  • Rachel Blaxland, Senior Strata Community Manager, Whitsundays.

The Archers team provided critical insights into:

  • The two most common format plan types and their differences.
  • The definition and default responsibilities of lot owner improvements.
  • How to distinguish between owner improvements and original building structures.

Our lawyer panelists further explored maintenance responsibilities within and beyond lot boundaries, including:

  • Structures such as shade sails, membranes, and foundations.
  • The function and responsibilities of Exclusive Use By-laws.
  • Utility infrastructure and the contrasting duties under different plan types.

They also clarified when body corporate approval is required, how to avoid disputes, and why accurate documentation of improvements and special conditions is vital for long-term harmony, compliance and record keeping.

You can gain this same practical, real-world knowledge by joining us next week at the Brisbane Maintenance Seminar!

Audience Engagement and Feedback

The response from attendees so far has been impressive. The seminars have been rated an average of 9/10 for content quality, relevance, and presentation.

Most importantly, participants report a significant boost in understanding the practical aspects of maintenance and improvement obligations.

Feedback Highlights

  • 100% of attendees across Sunshine Coast, Gold Coast, and Mackay said they now have a clearer understanding of the difference between maintenance, repairs, and improvements.
  • 97–100% reported feeling more informed about determining whether maintenance is the body corporate’s or lot owner’s responsibility.
  • 98% said they now better understand how to manage owner requests to improve common property.
  • 100% agreed they have a better grasp of why accurate documentation of lot owner improvements is critical.

These results highlight the continued importance of strata education and the value of practical, region-specific learning for Queensland’s growing strata sector.

Thank You to Our Exhibitors

We extend our sincere thank-you to the exhibitor partners who have joined us so far and helped make the first half of the series such a success. Their contributions and expertise continue to add exceptional value for attendees and many of our exhibitor partners will be showcasing at the Brisbane maintenance seminar as well as in Cairns.

Exhibitors Include:

Still Time to Register

If you haven’t attended yet, it’s not too late to join us for the second half of the series:

  • Brisbane — Wed 22nd Oct, Broncos Leagues Club — Register →
  • Cairns — Thu 30th Oct, Pullman Reef Hotel Casino — Register →

We’re proud to deliver a seminar series that educates, connects, and empowers Queensland’s strata sector. We hope to see you soon!

For more information, contact [email protected]

Article contributed by the Smart Strata Team.

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