In the world of strata living, clarity around roles and responsibilities is essential to ensure the efficient running of a scheme and to manage expectations between stakeholders. One area that can often become blurred is the role of the Strata Manager when acting as Secretary under the service agreement. While many strata managers are appointed to perform the duties of secretary for the body corporate, it is important to distinguish between their professional responsibilities and the misconception that they act as a Personal Secretary to individual committee members or owners.

What Are the Secretary Duties in a Strata Scheme?

Under the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (Qld) (BCCM Act), the secretary has several prescribed duties, including:

• Preparing and distributing meeting notices (committee and general meetings).
• Receiving and responding to correspondence on behalf of the body corporate.
• Maintaining the roll and records.
• Managing nominations for committee positions and general meeting motions.

When a strata manager is appointed to perform the role of secretary, these duties are typically included in their service agreement with the body corporate.

Strata Manager Secretary Duties Provided Under the Manager’s Service Agreement

Strata managers provide administrative support and ensure the body corporate meets its legal obligations. Typical secretary duties undertaken by a strata manager include:

• Issuing meeting notices in compliance with legislative timelines (e.g. 7 days for committee meetings, 21 days for general meetings).
• Preparing and circulating meeting minutes within 21 days of the meeting being held.
• Maintaining registers, such as the roll, assets, and common property records.
• Receiving and managing incoming correspondence, ensuring matters are brought to the committee’s attention.
• Assisting with motions and tally of voting papers for annual and extraordinary general meetings.
• Facilitating communication between owners and the committee, while maintaining neutrality and professionalism.

These tasks are performed in accordance with the contract and legislative framework—not based on personal preference or direction from individual stakeholders.

Not a Personal Secretary to Owners or Committee Members

It’s a common misconception that a strata manager is at the beck and call of every owner or committee member. This is not the case. While strata managers support the administration of the scheme, they are not responsible for:

• Taking individual instructions from owners or committee members outside the agreed process and terms of service.
• Acting on non-body corporate matters or providing legal or other advice to individuals including being available for drop in meetings.
• Preparing personalised documents or correspondence for committee members in addition to what is legally required to fulfill body corporate secretary duties.
• Managing one-on-one disputes without direction from the committee or via the formal dispute resolution process.

Requests for services in addition to the agreed duties must either be approved by the committee or provided as additional services, which normally attract separate fees.

Managing Expectations: Committee and Owner Engagement

To avoid frustration or confusion, it’s essential for committee members and owners to understand how to work effectively with their appointed strata manager:

• Use formal communication channels—typically the strata manager’s general inbox or online portal, not via text to their mobile phone.
• Direct requests through the committee—especially if they involve decision-making or scheme-wide matters which the body corporate manager does not have authority to approve or act upon.
• Understand the limits of the agreement—additional services such as dispute resolution assistance, major project coordination, or extra meetings to facilitate decisions about items like owners applications are typically not covered under the standard agreement terms of services.

Conclusion

The role of a strata manager, when acting as secretary, is clearly defined by legislation and their service agreement. They provide a vital administrative function to help schemes operate legally and efficiently. However, they are not personal secretaries to individual owners or committee members or on call for personal emergencies. Respecting these boundaries leads to a more professional, productive, and sustainable working relationship for everyone involved in the body corporate.

If you are unsure of what duties your strata manager performs, review your service agreement and consult with your committee to ensure everyone is on the same page.

Article Contributed by Katrina Whitehouse, Senior Strata Community Manager at Archers the Strata Professionals

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