Owners corporations
Matt FREGON (Ashwood) (17:26): (1269) My adjournment matter this evening is for the Minister for Consumer Affairs, who is at the table. Firstly, I would like to thank our fantastic Minister for Consumer Affairs for the important work he is doing on the independent expert panel review of the Owners Corporation Act 2006. I was contacted in this regard last month by my constituent Naomi about the significant stress and financial loss she has experienced due to poor conduct by her owners corporation manager. When her owners corporation sought to terminate the manager’s contract, funds were withdrawn without proper authority for preparing records for transfer. The manager also threatened further changes and the funds were not returned in full. This left Naomi and her fellow owners with an additional financial and emotional burden in terminating the manager. They now face the prospect of navigating alternative dispute resolution through Consumer Affairs Victoria and, if necessary, VCAT, a process that possibly demands considerable time and energy. Naomi supports the ACCC’s recommendations to make it illegal for owners corporation managers to receive commissions or benefits in procuring services and for them to operate on a transparent fee-for-service basis only. I will forward the minister Naomi’s correspondence, but the action I seek is that he consider Naomi’s experience as part of this review, to help strengthen protections for all Victorians living under an owners corporation.
Peter Walsh: Speaker, I draw your attention to the state of the house.
Quorum formed.