Do special resolutions require an open ballot in strata?

QLD

Rules & Bylaws

Committee & Governance

For part five engagement, does a special resolution require an open ballot? How does it work?

The new changes allow the body corporate to put a motion on the agenda to remove the requirement for a secret ballot and allow it to become an open ballot.

For a part five engagement, if the body corporate hasn't done anything it needs a secret ballot at the moment. This is where you engage a returning officer to count all the votes, and they're all done anonymously. What the new changes have done is they've allowed the body corporate to put a motion on the agenda in advance of that taking place to remove the requirement for a secret ballot and allow it to become an open ballot.

In the next 12 months is when you'll see a number of these threshold motions go on to flick the switch on something like that happening, and it's really the general meeting after the next one, where you can actually see some of these changes take effect.

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Published: 14 Apr 2026

Last Updated: 7 Jul 2026

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Answer by

Todd Garsden

Mahoneys

Todd is an experienced property lawyer who heads up Mahoneys body corporate team.

Todd specialises in body corporate law and predominantly acts for bodies corporate, body corporate managers and lot owners on all matters affecting bodies corporate.

Todd is an active member of the Strata Community Association (Qld). In 2019 he was appointed to the Strata Community Association (Qld) legislation committee and assists in making submissions on behalf of the Strata Community Association (Qld) on issues such as legislative reform in body corporate law.

As Todd is also a body corporate committee member, he understands the day to day requirements of administering a body corporate.

Todd has a focus on achieving practical and commercial results for his clients and understands the market in which bodies corporate operate within.

Todd also provides body corporate managers, and other industry stakeholders, with presentations and training on matters affecting the body corporate industry.