Updated 15 September to include the latest changes from NSW Fair Trading.
For owners on their strata committee, NSW Fair Trading has announced that mandatory training for members will begin on 1 October 2026. The strata training is part of the broader package of strata law reforms rolled out in NSW in recent years. If you want a full recap of those reforms, this webinar is a good place to start.
What does the training involve?
The course is free, online and self-paced. The training is hosted on the Strata Hub and takes about an hour to complete. The content covers core strata information:
- your legal obligations as a committee member,
- which records you need to keep,
- and what to do when an issue needs to go beyond the committee.
The first course is titled “Introduction to Strata Committee Rights and Responsibilities.”
Who needs to complete the committee training and when?
From 1 October 2026, anyone appointed to a NSW strata committee must complete the training within three months of their appointment. This applies whether you are new to a committee, a returning member, or appointed to fill a vacancy of more than three months.
To make this concrete, here are a couple of examples straight from NSW Fair Trading:
- A committee member appointed on 1 October 2026 must complete training by 1 January 2027.
- A committee member appointed on 1 June 2027 must complete training by 1 September 2027.
Who put it together?
NSW Fair Trading developed the course alongside the Owners Corporation Network (OCN). OCN brought real-world committee experience to the table, which should make the content very practical and less like a fact sheet.
Who is exempt?
The training requirement does not apply to committee members who are:
- in a two-lot strata scheme,
- members of the Australian College of Strata Lawyers,
- strata managing agents, or
- filling a casual vacancy for less than three months.
If you are exempt, you should provide evidence of your exemption to the committee secretary. It’s also worth noting that the training requirement only applies to strata committees in strata schemes. It does not apply to association committees in community land schemes.
What happens if a committee member doesn’t complete the training within the required time limit?
If a committee member does not complete the training within three months of their appointment, they automatically stop being a committee member. It’s not a fine or a warning. You lose your seat.
The committee secretary may send a notice advising the member they are no longer on the committee, but even if no notice is sent, the removal is still automatic.
One important point for committees: if a decision is made while a member has unknowingly failed to comply, that decision will generally remain valid, provided the committee acted in good faith and was not aware the person had ceased to be a member. However, once the committee becomes aware, they should take steps to prevent that person from participating in future decisions and check whether a new member needs to be appointed.
NSW Fair Trading has also confirmed it will not take direct action against a committee member who fails to complete their training.
What does the committee secretary need to do?
After the 1 October 2026, the secretary plays a key role in keeping things on track. NSW Fair Trading recommends the following:
- Ask each committee member to provide their Certificate of Completion once they have finished the training, and keep copies for at least one year.
- Send a reminder notice to each member no later than two months after their appointment, noting the deadline and asking them to provide their certificate.
- If a member misses the deadline, send a Failure to Complete Training Notice as soon as practicable and notify the remaining committee members that a vacancy has occurred.
NSW Fair Trading will publish templates for both notices closer to the 1 October launch date.
Is this a one-off?
No. NSW Fair Trading has been upfront that this is just the beginning. New training modules will be added each year, with topics chosen based on what committees are finding difficult. Repairs and maintenance is already confirmed for year two, a topic that generates more than its fair share of disputes in strata. If you’re dealing with a repairs issue right now, this webinar on water leaks, NCAT and common property is worth a watch.
Can anyone else access the training?
Yes. Once the training launches, it will be open to anyone who wants to learn more about strata, including people thinking about joining a committee, owners who simply want to understand how their scheme works, and members of two-lot schemes who want to do it voluntarily.
For the latest official information, visit the NSW Fair Trading strata committee training page. Lookupstrata will continue to keep you updated as guidance is released. Subscribe to Lookupstrata so you don’t miss it.
This post appears in Strata News #807 and #810.
The LookUpStrata Team E: administration@lookupstrata.com.au
