Question: What is the timeline for when the recommendations for the changes to the legislation may be approved and implemented? Some of us have been waiting a very long time for change. Will this result in rolling changes to VIC strata legislation over the next few years?
Answer: A first tranche addressing financial hardship is already before parliament, with manager licensing and further reforms expected to roll out over the next 12 to 18 months and beyond.
They are currently before parliament. There is the consumer bill, which deals with what the government sees as the immediate issue: financial hardship, and changing the legislation in those two sections. That is currently before parliament.
In terms of what I think is the next most critical level, manager licensing and penalties for non-compliance. The government responded that it needed more industry consultation, so I expect any changes to take at least 12 to 18 months.
Having said that, let’s not forget that changes are coming into place soon that have already been passed. Mandated professional training for managers and officers in effective control starts in June 2027. We should see many of these changes over the next year or two.
I do think this will result in rolling changes. A lot of the comments are, “Let’s review this again in 3 years to make sure we’re on the right track.” And I think that’s all we can ask for, that the legislation keeps up with what they’re seeing in the market. We’ve got to keep doing reviews. I hope it’s a more condensed, faster process because the law is always slow to catch up, but it’s particularly slow in this area.
This post appears in the July 2026 edition of The VIC Strata Magazine.
Fabienne Loncar
Chambers Russell Lawyers
E: floncar@chambersrussell.com.au
P: 03 8639 9804
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