Commissioners Office Update

Commissioner Chris Irons resigned his role in January 2020. While this brings change to any organisation, the Commissioner’s Office has assured that they will continue to provide excellent service and support for the sector. A recruitment process is undertaken for a new Commissioner.

In the interim, Jane Wilson has been asked to be the acting Commissioner.  For those who do not know Jane, she has worked with the Department of Justice and Attorney-General for more than 16 years. She has been with the Commissioner’s office for 12 years principally as the Conciliation Manager.

Recently, Jane attended the Australasian College of Strata Lawyers 2020 Conference. This year’s conference was held in Noosa Heads and it gave great insight into challenges faced by strata lawyers across Australia and New Zealand. There were also a number of presentations from academics and researchers in the strata jurisdiction.  One topic Jane noted to be of particular interest to her was presented by Dr Jemma Green on the “Democratisation of Energy Movement in Strata Schemes”.  Microgrid technology – energy trading software – is becoming increasingly available and is something to watch with interest in terms of sustainable energy usage.

At present, the Commissioner’s Office does not have a firm date about when the proposed amendments to the Regulation Modules will be commenced. However, the Office of Regulatory Policy (ORP) inform me they are in the final stages of drafting. ORP appreciate the contributions made during drafting consultation and a number of changes have been made in response to stakeholder feedback.

Jane also presented at the Strata Community Australia (QLD) 2020 Conference on 12 and 13 March 2020, and senior managers from the office were in attendance. Also in attendance at the Conference was Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath, who opened the conference, and shared an update on the upcoming law reforms, you can watch here.

This article was contributed by The Office of the Commissioner for Body Corporate and Community Management