Everyday ideas for creating
great strata communities

OCN is a not-for-profit advocating for strata residents, so they know about the broad challenges as well as the basics. Wendy from OCN, has been active in a number of strata schemes, creating friendly, functional communities – each with their own particular personality.

Here’s what she has to say about creating a great strata community –

Building a great strata community

There are everyday options which any owner or tenant can initiate or support. In my own complex of 262 apartments, we’ve found that community co-operation gives us efficiencies in the way that the Strata Committee operates and the way residents handle a wide range of issues or everyday queries. It’s also given us significant savings in running costs.

A strong community means residents are interested and co-operate well, overcoming the few who don’t participate.

I’ve worked in buildings where I’m told ‘people aren’t interested, nobody wants to help’, but when I talk to residents, they’re happy to do their little bit – the key is to find ways that make it easy and part of daily routines.

Start by doing some groundwork – observe how your building works, because to encourage co-operation, you need to remove as many barriers as possible. Making life easier for people gets you agreement and engagement.

Then gradually build on what is effective and refine what isn’t – adjustments are a natural part of the process. You might find that a negative can be turned into a positive. Due to over-use of Red bins, we were faced with a Council service fee of $74,000. By winning our residents’ confidence and taking advantage of unity, we were able to boost recycling, turn the tide and save that amount. An easy, effective message with a high dollar figure attached.

Keep noticeboards fresh by alternating instructional notices with helpful suggestions and local places of interest (parks, recreation).

Using pictures gains attention about topics which might be boring, but are vital to the comfort of residences or may save them thousands of dollars – tempering valve replacement and checking flexi-hoses are two of the most useful.

Asking residents to notify the Committee or Building Manager about problems mitigates costs and avoids emergency call-out fees. There are real-life examples on the Learn Strata website, along with free templates.

Once a culture of information-sharing is established, asking for volunteers to organise gatherings is easier – these can be simple events. The important factor is getting residents to meet each other, creating a friendly culture, so that neighbours are more comfortable with making requests and problem-solving.

Some councils are developing programs, such as the excellent Lane Cove Council ‘Meet Your neighbours’ toolkit, with examples and options.

Get togethers

Get-togethers provide a way for knowledgeable residents to share expertise with others:

• Gardening groups – perhaps setting up a new herb garden or reviving a neglected corner.
• Plant gifting – it’s easy to propagate pothos vines, arrowhead vines, flower-imitating succulents, then gift with care instructions – encourage neighbours to exchange growing tips in weeks afterward.
• BYO cup – everyone brings a cuppa or drink and enjoys a casual chat about nothing in particular.
• Recycling tips n’ tricks – everyone gathers for a relaxed chat about using bins more effectively or investigating a local specialist recycling service to take items off site and relieve the pressure on building facilities (e.g. free Council ‘Doorstep’ services or RecycleSmart).
• Book clubs – maybe someone loves a particular genre of writing and could start a casual group around that subject.
• Wrap With Love – knitting project, everyone contributes a few squares.
• Meet our pets – dog owners for example, who probably see each other and already chat, could invite others to meet their dogs… it’s an indirect way of saying come for a chat (less confronting).

Our culture has changed so much, as more people cooperate and offer new ideas. We’ve moved on from a time when toxic Facebook messages were common and there were even yelled arguments over common property vs private lots.

Other difficulties include multiple entrances and language/cultural barriers. It’s important to talk to every new person you see, mention the care of facilities and that volunteers work hard alongside cleaners and the committee. Everyone helping a little bit makes a lot of difference as a group!

About the Author

Wendy has a role as Member Support with OCN (Owner Corporation Network) and is familiar with many Strata subjects, especially sustainability. In her apartment complex of 262 lots, she has initiated programs to build social cohesion and inclusiveness; introduced over 15 recycling streams, creating easy, user-friendly ways for residents to save money and do good for the environment; and worked with the strata committee to generate significant ongoing savings for residents.