Removing Committee Officers: What Changed on 2 March 2025

One of the quieter changes in the NSW strata reforms that took effect on 2 March 2025 is already generating questions in forums and committee meetings. Removing a committee officer from their role now requires a simple majority instead of the previous 75 percent threshold.

It sounds straightforward. In practice, there are a few things worth understanding about what this actually changes and, just as importantly, what it does not.

What Changed

Previously, removing a committee officer (chair, secretary, or treasurer) from their officer role required a special resolution. In practice, that meant no more than 25 percent of the value of votes cast at the meeting could be against the motion. That was a high bar. In many buildings, particularly larger ones, getting 75 percent agreement on anything is difficult.

From 2 March 2025, a simple majority (more than 50 percent) is sufficient to remove a committee officer from their officer position.

This applies to all three officer roles: chair, secretary, and treasurer.

What It Does Not Change

This is where the detail matters.

Removing someone from an officer role does not remove them from the committee. A person who is voted out as treasurer is still a committee member. They can still attend meetings, vote on committee decisions, and participate in all committee business. They just no longer hold the treasurer title and responsibilities.

It also does not prevent the same person from re-nominating for any officer position at the next AGM. If they have the numbers, whether through genuine support, proxy collection, or simply higher attendance among their supporters, they can be re-elected.

And the change applies to the officer role specifically, not to committee membership itself. Removing someone from the committee entirely still requires a resolution at a general meeting of all owners.

Where This Matters Most

The scenario we are seeing come up most often is buildings where a committee officer has been underperforming, and the rest of the committee has wanted to act but could not reach the 75 percent threshold.

Common situations include a treasurer who is not providing financial reports, a secretary who is not circulating minutes, or a chair who is making decisions without committee consultation. Under the old rules, the committee was effectively stuck unless they could get three quarters of the vote. The new threshold makes it achievable with a straightforward majority.

For committees in this situation, the change is significant. For buildings where the committee functions well, it makes no practical difference.

The Re-Election Problem

The most common frustration we are hearing is from owners who have managed to remove an officer, only to see the same person re-nominated and re-elected at the following AGM.

The law change does not solve this. If a group of owners controls more than 50 percent of votes at a general meeting, whether through genuine ownership, proxy forms collected before the meeting, or simply turning up in greater numbers, they can elect whoever they want into officer roles.

This is a governance challenge, not a legal one. The most effective approaches owners have used include:

Collecting proxies before the meeting. If the incumbent group collects proxies, so can the opposition. Contact other owners weeks before the AGM.

Requisitioning an extraordinary general meeting. If 25 percent of owners by unit entitlement support it, you can call an EGM to raise governance motions outside the AGM cycle.

Engaging a strata lawyer to review proxy handling. Proxy farming can cross legal lines depending on how it is done.

Applying to NCAT for a compulsory managing agent. In cases where committee dysfunction is causing genuine harm to the scheme, the tribunal can appoint a professional to take over. This is a significant step, but it exists for schemes that cannot govern themselves.

What to Do Now

If your committee has been dealing with an underperforming officer, the new threshold may change the calculation. Before acting, two things are worth doing:

Check your scheme's by-laws for any additional requirements around officer elections or removal. Some schemes have specific procedures.

Document the performance issues. If the matter is contested, having a clear record of why the committee acted is important for defensibility.

If you are an owner who is concerned about committee governance but not on the committee yourself, the new rules give you a clearer path at the next AGM. A simple majority of votes cast is a realistic target in most buildings.

This is informational only, not legal advice. The rules described here apply to NSW strata schemes under the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015, as amended by the Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment Act 2025. Other states have different legislation. If you need advice specific to your scheme, consult a specialist strata lawyer.