What should a yearly governance calendar include for a strata committee?

One of the most effective things any self-managed committee can do is stop treating governance as a series of unexpected events and start treating it as a predictable rhythm. Every Australian strata scheme has a set of things that must happen every year — AGM, budget, levy review, compliance renewals, financial reporting. The committees that handle these smoothly aren't necessarily smarter or more experienced. They're just better organised.

A governance calendar is the tool that creates that organisation. This guide gives you a practical month-by-month framework that can be adapted to your scheme's financial year and the specific requirements of your state. Think of it as a starting point to customise, not a rigid prescription.

Before the calendar: know your anchor dates

The governance calendar organises around a small number of anchor dates that are specific to your scheme:

- **Financial year end:** when your scheme's financial year closes — determines AGM timing

- **AGM deadline:** your state's requirement for when the AGM must be held relative to the financial year end

- **Insurance renewal date:** your building insurance renewal date — set by your original policy commencement

- **Fire safety statement due date:** your scheme's fire safety certification date (NSW) or equivalent

- **Levy due dates:** the frequency and dates on which levies fall due

Once you have these, you can build everything else around them. The calendar below assumes a 30 June financial year end (common in Australia) — adjust the months if your scheme has a different year end.

Q1 (July–September): year-start momentum

**July: kick off the new financial year**

The AGM has just been held (if your year ends 30 June, the AGM should be within 6 months — so by 31 December at the latest, but many committees hold it in August or September). If the AGM is imminent, this month is about AGM preparation: finalising the financial statements, setting the agenda, preparing the levy schedule for owner approval, and drafting the notice.

If you've just come out of your AGM, July is about implementing the newly approved budget and levy schedule. Send levy notices for the new period, update your compliance calendar for the year, and confirm any committee role changes following the election.

**August: financial year transition**

Update levy schedules in the system to reflect the new financial year amounts. Review the capital works fund balance against the capital works plan — are contributions on track? Check whether any compliance items are due in the next 90 days and confirm they're in the system with reminders set.

Hold a committee meeting to review the year-start position, discuss any matters arising from the AGM, and confirm ownership of key roles and responsibilities for the year.

**September: first quarterly review**

A full quarterly committee meeting: review the financial position against budget, check compliance status, discuss any significant maintenance matters, and review outstanding requests. Levy payment rates are typically strong early in the year — note any early arrears.

Q2 (October–December): AGM season (if not already held) and mid-year review

**October–November: AGM preparation (if year-end was 30 June)**

Prepare financial statements. Engage your accountant if required. Draft the AGM notice and agenda. Prepare the proposed budget and levy schedule for the coming year. Send AGM notices with the required notice period for your state.

For the AGM itself: present financial statements, elect the committee, set the levy for the coming year, and address any owner motions. Produce and distribute AGM minutes promptly.

**December: year-end planning**

Review the compliance calendar for Q1 of the new calendar year. Check insurance renewal dates — if renewal is in Q1, start the renewal process now (60 days ahead). Review arrears and send any outstanding follow-up communications. Send a year-end update to owners summarising what the committee accomplished — this is an underused communication opportunity that significantly builds owner trust.

Q3 (January–March): the calendar year's governance peak

**January: new calendar year review**

A quiet month for many committees, but useful for reviewing the governance calendar and confirming that all planned activities for Q1 are resourced. Review any outstanding maintenance matters from the previous year. Check the capital works plan for any major works anticipated in the next 12 months.

**February: compliance renewal season**

For many Australian schemes, fire safety certificates and other compliance items fall due around February to March (this varies by scheme). If your fire safety statement is due in this period, the preparation work should be well underway. The fire safety inspection should be booked, any identified defects should be remediated, and the formal statement should be ready for lodgement on time.

Insurance is another common renewal period. If your building insurance renews in Q1, you should be in the market for renewal quotes now. Allow time for comparison, committee decision, and policy commencement before the renewal date.

**March: Q1 committee meeting and review**

Full quarterly committee meeting. Financial review for the half-year position. Compliance status check. Maintenance review — are there any significant jobs that need to be scoped and approved before the cooler months make access easier?

Q4 (April–June): planning for year-end

**April: budget preparation begins**

If your financial year ends in June, budget preparation should start in April. The treasurer prepares draft estimates for the coming year: anticipated expenditure in both the administrative and capital works funds, projected levy income at current lot numbers, and recommended adjustments.

Review the capital works plan. Are contributions on track? Are any major works anticipated in the next three to five years? This is the time to adjust the capital works contribution if needed, not after the money has been spent.

**May: AGM preparation (if year-end is 30 June)**

Finalise the draft budget. Prepare the AGM notice and agenda. Confirm the financial statements will be ready from your accountant in time. Send notices with the required notice period for your state.

**June: year-end close**

Final committee meeting before year-end. Review the financial position against budget for the year. Confirm that the compliance register is up to date. Check outstanding maintenance items. Prepare handover notes for any committee member roles changing at the AGM.

Close the financial year accounts in coordination with your accountant. Ensure any mandatory year-end financial reporting is completed.

Year-round practices: the habits of a well-governed scheme

Beyond the calendar, a few consistent habits distinguish high-functioning committees:

**Monthly financial review:** A quick treasurer's report at every committee meeting — how are we tracking against budget, what's the levy collection rate, any arrears requiring attention.

**Standing compliance item:** At every committee meeting, a 3-minute review of the compliance dashboard. What's due in the next 60 days? Is anything overdue? What action is needed?

**Request triage:** Weekly or fortnightly review of the open maintenance request list. Anything overdue? Any requests that have stalled? Any owner following up on status?

**Owner communication:** At minimum quarterly, a short update to owners summarising what's happening in the building — major works progress, recent decisions, upcoming maintenance, levy reminders.

These habits take less than an hour a week across the committee but create a significant difference in how organised and responsive the scheme feels — both to committee members and to owners.