What makes a committee meeting compliant in Australia?

Committee meetings are the engine of strata governance. Every significant decision — approving a major repair, engaging a contractor, changing a by-law, setting the levy — flows through a properly constituted meeting. When meetings are done right, the committee has a defensible record of its decisions. When they're not, those decisions can be challenged, overturned, or — in the worst case — expose the committee to personal liability.

This guide covers the essential elements of a compliant committee meeting in Australia. While the specifics vary by state — and you should always verify against your governing legislation — the core principles are consistent across jurisdictions.

The core elements of a compliant committee meeting

A committee meeting that will withstand scrutiny has four essential components: proper notice, valid quorum, a structured agenda with clear motions, and accurate minutes. Miss any of these and you create risk.

Meeting notice: what it needs to include and when

Notice periods for committee meetings vary by state but are typically 72 hours minimum (NSW and Victoria, for example). Some states allow shorter notice if all members consent in writing. AGMs and EGMs require longer notice — 14 days is common, though some states require 21 days for AGMs.

Your meeting notice should include:

- The date, time, and location (or video conferencing link for electronic meetings)

- The agenda, or at minimum a description of the items to be discussed

- Any relevant supporting documents or papers

- Instructions for any proxy arrangements if permitted

Send notices in writing — email is generally acceptable in most states provided you have the recipient's email address on file. Keep a record of when notices were sent. If a meeting is ever challenged, you want to be able to demonstrate that proper notice was given.

Quorum: what it is and what happens if you don't have it

Quorum is the minimum number of committee members who must be present for the meeting to be valid. In most Australian states, this is a majority of committee members. For a five-person committee, you need at least three present.

If quorum isn't reached at the start of the meeting, valid resolutions cannot be passed. You'll need to adjourn and reschedule, sending a new notice. Document the adjournment in your records.

One important nuance: quorum must generally be maintained throughout the meeting. If a committee member leaves mid-meeting and quorum is lost, any resolutions passed after that point may be invalid. Be thoughtful about the meeting schedule — if you're discussing something contentious that might prompt someone to leave, be aware of the quorum implications.

Proxy rules for committee meetings vary significantly by state. Some states restrict or prohibit proxies at committee meetings (as opposed to general meetings where proxies are commonly permitted). Check your legislation before assuming proxies are acceptable.

The agenda: structure and motion drafting

A good agenda does two things: it tells committee members what decisions they'll be asked to make, and it provides sufficient context for them to prepare. A bad agenda is a list of vague topics that gives no indication of what the meeting is actually for.

For every decision item on the agenda, draft the motion in advance. Write it clearly and specifically: 'That the committee approves the quote from [Contractor] for [work] at [$X] and authorises the secretary to issue the work order.' Not 'discuss the quote for the repairs.'

Standard agenda structure for a committee meeting:

- Opening and confirmation of quorum

- Apologies

- Confirmation of previous minutes

- Declarations of interest

- Business arising from previous minutes

- New business items (with motions)

- Financial update (if applicable)

- Correspondence

- Next meeting date

- Close

Declarations of interest: why they matter and what to do

If a committee member has a financial interest in a matter before the committee — for example, their company is one of the contractors being considered, or they have a personal relationship with one of the parties — they must declare that interest before the item is discussed.

In many states, a committee member with a declared interest must leave the meeting for the duration of that item's discussion and vote. Record the declaration and the member's absence in the minutes.

Failing to declare and manage interests properly is one of the most common governance failures in self-managed schemes, and it's one of the most serious. It can lead to decisions being overturned, committee members being removed, and in some circumstances personal liability.

What minutes must record

Minutes are the official record of what was decided, not a transcript of what was said. They should be accurate, clear, and written so that someone reading them six months later could understand exactly what was decided and why.

Essential elements of compliant minutes:

- Meeting details: date, time, location, type of meeting

- Attendees and apologies

- Declarations of interest

- Confirmation of previous minutes

- Each motion, exactly as moved and seconded, with the vote outcome (carried, lost, carried with conditions)

- Any conditions attached to a resolution

- Assigned actions and who is responsible

- Deferred items and reason for deferral

Minutes should be drafted promptly — within a few days of the meeting while recollections are fresh. They're typically 'draft' until confirmed at the next meeting, at which point they become the official record.

Publishing minutes to owners

Owners generally have a right to access approved committee meeting minutes. The mechanism varies by state — some require minutes to be available for inspection, others require proactive distribution.

As a practical matter, publishing approved minutes to owners through a portal or shared document library is good governance regardless of whether it's strictly required. Transparent access to minutes reduces disputes, builds trust, and demonstrates that the committee is running things openly.

Some items may appropriately be kept confidential — legal advice, personal matters involving individual owners, commercially sensitive contractor negotiations. Use visibility controls to restrict access to these items while making the substantive decision records available.