Mandatory Strata Committee Training in NSW: What Owners Need to Know

Serving on a strata committee is a bigger job than the title lets on. Committee members are often asked to weigh up building expenditure, maintenance priorities, budgets, insurance, by-laws and even disputes, all decisions that affect the homes and finances of everyone in the scheme. Most people take on the role as volunteers, without a background in strata law, finance, property or building management, and they do it anyway because someone has to.

That’s exactly why NSW is introducing new mandatory strata committee training.

From 1 October 2026, new and returning strata committee members will need to complete a short, free training course through NSW Fair Trading, within three months of their appointment. It’s a straightforward change, and it’s designed to give committee members a bit more confidence and clarity as they step into the role.

Here’s what it means for you.

What is the new mandatory training?

From 1 October 2026, most people appointed to a strata committee in NSW will need to complete a short course within three months of being appointed.

For anyone appointed between 1 October 2026 and 30 September 2027, the course is called Introduction to Strata Committee Rights and Responsibilities. NSW Fair Trading has kept it simple:

— Free
— Online and self-paced
— About an hour to complete
— Available through Strata Hub

It applies to new committee members, returning members who are re-elected, and anyone filling a vacancy for more than three months.

If you were already on the committee before 1 October 2026, you won’t need to complete the training until you’re next appointed. And this is just the first step. Down the track, further annual training will be introduced, building on this introductory course.

What happens once you’re appointed?

It helps to picture it as a simple sequence rather than a list of separate obligations:

— Appointed: You are confirmed as a committee member.
— Confirm your deadline: You have three months from your appointment date.
— Access the course: Access is available online through Strata Hub.
— Complete the training: At your own pace, work through the one-hour training course.
— Receive your certificate: Once you have finished the course, you will receive your certificate.
— Provide it to the committee secretary: Ensure your certificate is on the record against your appointment.

That’s the whole process, start to finish. Once you’ve got your certificate, keep a copy for your own records and pass it on to your committee secretary so it can be filed against your appointment.

Why bring in committee training now?

This change is part of the NSW Government’s wider strata law reform program, following recommendations from the 2021 statutory review of NSW strata laws.

The thinking behind it is fairly practical. Committees are usually made up of owners, not property, finance, legal or building professionals, yet they’re regularly asked to weigh in on all of these areas. NSW Fair Trading has been clear that committee decisions can affect people’s homes, finances and daily lives, so the training aims to build a stronger understanding of committee duties, governance, repairs, disputes, risk and the financial health of a scheme.

It also reflects how clearly the role of a committee member is now defined under NSW strata legislation, including duties to act honestly and fairly, exercise due care, and act for the benefit of the owners corporation wherever possible.

None of this is about memorising legislation. It’s about understanding what a committee can decide, what information it needs, and when it’s worth bringing in professional advice.

One hour is a great starting point

The new course gives committee members a solid foundation, though strata governance is rarely something that fits neatly into an hour.

Committees will still find themselves weighing up competing maintenance priorities, reading financial reports, considering significant spending, or working out whether something belongs with the committee, the wider owners corporation, or a specialist adviser.

The real value of the training isn’t that it hands members every answer. It’s that it helps them recognise the right questions to ask, and understand where the edges of their role sit.

What does this look like day-to-day?

Picture a committee facing a few different maintenance issues at once, with a limited budget to work with.

One issue might be obvious but relatively minor. Another might look fine on the surface but could get worse if it’s left alone. A third might already be part of the scheme’s capital works plan.

The committee isn’t expected to diagnose the building problems themselves, and they shouldn’t have to. That’s exactly the kind of groundwork your strata manager should already have done before it lands in front of you: working through the details, gathering the right quotes and setting out clear recommendations, so the committee’s role is to review, ask questions and decide.

It’s the same with a large quote for building works. Committee members don’t need to become construction experts. A well-supported committee should be presented with the quote alongside a clear recommendation, so their job is to understand what’s being proposed, weigh it up and make the call, not go looking for the missing pieces themselves.

What does a well-informed committee look like?

Completing the course is an important box to tick, but good committee governance is really built through habits over the course of the year. A well-informed committee generally has a handle on:

— What decisions it can make, and what needs to go to a general meeting
— The scheme’s financial position and any significant upcoming expenditure
— Major maintenance and compliance matters affecting the building
— What authority has been delegated to the strata manager
— Where to find important records, invoices and financial information
— When it’s time to bring in professional or specialist advice
— How decisions and approvals should be documented

Committee members don’t need to manage all of this alone. Their strata manager should be keeping them across it, so their job is to understand enough to take part meaningfully, ask good questions, and make considered decisions.

What happens if the training isn’t completed?

If a committee member does not complete the prescribed training within three months of appointment, they automatically cease to be a committee member. For example, if you’re appointed on 1 October 2026, you must complete the training by 1 January 2027.

NSW Fair Trading says no separate enforcement decision is required for this to happen.

For committees, the practical takeaway is simple: keep a clear record of appointment dates, check for any exemptions, and make sure non-exempt members get the course done within three months.