A Canberra Liberals government would establish a strata and building quality commissioner in an effort to drive faster resolutions to issues faced by residents and owners pushed into high-density housing, the Opposition Leader says.
Elizabeth Lee said the commissioner would champion common-sense changes and be a single point of contact for owners dealing with issues in strata property and with building quality.
"Over the last decade we've seen the ACT government pushing more Canberrans into strata properties by not offering genuine choice when it comes to housing options, but we have not seen the same level of enthusiasm for ensuring that the concerns of strata owners and residents are heard and resolved," Ms Lee said.
Mark Parton, the opposition building and construction spokesman, said an early priority for the commissioner would be to support shared renewable energy infrastructure in apartments and other strata complexes.
"We hear of too many examples where there's a broad support in a complex for rooftop solar, EV charging, or other initiatives but nothing happens," Mr Parton said.
"We need to do a lot better at identifying and removing these obstacles and that is exactly what a Canberra Liberals government will do."
The Strata Community Association welcomed the commitment. Between 100,000 and 150,000 people in the ACT live in strata complexes, the association said.
Chris Miller, the association's ACT president, said: "A commitment of this kind is a critical step towards ensuring that the future of strata in the ACT is well supported, and we are thankful to see this acknowledgment from another key political party."
Peter Strong, who is running an independent ticket and standing as a candidate in Kurrajong, wants a strata commissioner with "real power".
"There are some, not many thankfully, members of executive committees of owners corporations who deliberately do the wrong thing and look after their personal needs and not the needs of all owners. They need to be dealt with through the commissioner," Mr Strong said on Monday.
"There are strata managers who do not have the necessary skills to do their jobs. The commissioner would ensure that all managers are properly trained and licensed."
Fiona Carrick, an independent candidate for Murrumbidgee, wants an independent housing commissioner that would report directly to the Legislative Assembly.
"The commissioner would support residents and owners by providing education, reducing disputes, providing regulatory services and delivering reports to the Legislative Assembly recommending fair practices in the housing sector," Ms Carrick said on Tuesday.
Ms Carrick's preferred model would have a commissioner covering rental housing, strata management, retirement villages and building regulation.
The ACT Greens have promised a rental commissioner, a $5 million commitment over four years that the party hopes would expand to cover strata issues.
"We know that there can be an overlap of issues between renters, strata and body corporate agencies and owners," the party's policy paper said.
"Once the Rental Commissioner's office is established, the ACT Greens will work with the Commissioner and stakeholders to expand the office of the Commissioner to cover the Unit Titles (Management) Act 2011 and related strata and property services (similar to the role of the NSW Strata and Property Services Commissioner)."
