Over the years as a strata manager, countless owners have come to me with bold plans to make their strata lot more sustainable by installing solar panels. They go out, get a quote, present it to their committee of management and it gets voted down. Why? Too often, simply because other owners don’t like the look of solar panels. This is especially true at townhouse estates where owners want to maintain a consistent appearance.
It was always disheartening when aesthetics came before combatting climate change. However, things have changed.
With the changes to the Owners Corporation Act introduced in December 2021, owners corporations may no longer make rules that unreasonably prohibit the installation of a sustainability item on a lot. For example, if a lot owner wants to install solar panels, the owners corporation cannot deny this request simply on aesthetic grounds. However, they may be able to deny the request if they have a legitimate reason. For example, if the solar panel impedes access for window cleaning.
This does not just apply to solar panels. The Owners Corporation Act defines a sustainability item as anything that eliminates or reduces a reliance on non-sustainable energy sources and includes: a solar hot water system, solar panels, and a roof with colours having a particular solar absorption value.
It is yet to be seen what impact this new legislation will have on the sustainability of owners corporations, but it is a positive step in the recognition that these upgrades should not be impeded. In fact, they will be crucial for us to achieve net zero. Read More…