September Newsletter 2022

The strata industry relies heavily on contractors to help maintain the overall appearance of buildings, along with routine service and maintenance of mechanical assets and common areas. Fire compliance, lift servicing, HVAC and plumbing generally make up most of the on-going preventative maintenance required within a residential building. Also, if buildings are still within the defect liability period (DLP) or commencing a special building upgrade or rectification, engineers are reliable upon to help identify potential risks or issues. Engineers are also used to prepare (or review) detailed scope of works when issuing complex work orders to various builders or contractors.

What are some red flags to look out for?

SKILLED CONTRACTOR CHALLENGES

ustralian businesses are crying out for more workers with the country in the middle of one of its largest ever labour shortages. There are more than 423,000 job vacancies, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 27 June 2022. The most pressing challenge facing businesses today is a shortage of skills and labour. With workplaces under enormous strain, it is placing a handbrake on economic growth.

The skill shortages are also having an impact on the strata sector. Skilled and routine maintenance contractors are all in high demand. The demands for all different service offerings have impacted buildings in a number of ways:

– Delays with routine maintenance
– Difficulties sourcing parts and equipment
– Overall Increased costs for materials
– Site knowledge when contractor employees take other jobs

The workforce shortage means skilled contractors are in high demand. Many strata buildings are struggling to find reliable cleaning teams and have been subject to accepting lower standards and higher costs.

Because of the lack of skilled workers, lot owners and owners corporations may be tempted to hire contractors who do not meet all the requirements. This is primarily due to the need to complete the work as quickly as possible. As a result, the work may not be of high quality and can lead to more problems in the future.

There is no doubt that sourcing and retaining high-quality labour to perform tasks in strata buildings remains a challenge. Strata Managers that have maintained good relationships with suppliers only serve to benefit the occupants of the building. These relationships are built over a long period of time. There is a clear understanding of the requirements, procedures, and expectations among preferred contractors. The result is consistent quality work and peace of mind for the owners corporation.

NRL FINALS ARE HERE
WHICH TEAM DO YOU SUPPORT

The NRL competition has been packed with excitement. It has also had its share of controversy over who would host the grand final. Finally, the saga is now over, at least for this year with NSW Accor Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park confirmed as the venue for the end-of-year showcase. No matter which team you support there is sure to be lots of action with twists and turns at every corner. Let’s take a quick look at what’s install.

Did your team make the top 8:
1 Penrith Panthers
2 Cronulla Sharks
3 North Queensland Cowboys
4 Parramatta Eels
5 Melbourne Storm
6 Sydney Roosters
7 South Sydney Rabbitohs
8 Canberra Raiders

It has been an incredible finals series with every team desperate to make the grand final. Throughout the finals series, we have seen some courageous and nail-biting action. The Penrith Panthers have remained at the top of the ladder excluding just two rounds of the home-and-away season. The big question is can they go back-to-back and take out the coveted prize.

The first round of finals demonstrated some brutal encounters and there was a great deal of emotion and passion between South Sydney Rabbitohs and the Sydney Roosters.

The game producing no less than seven sin bins with James Tedesco coming off after a head knock and then failing the HIA.

The competition was no less intense between the Cronulla Sharks and the North Queensland Cowboys. The game lasting 92 minutes with extra time, came down to a clutch play with Valentine Holmes kicking a 42-meter field goal to win the game.

We are now down to just two teams, the Penrith Panthers and Parramatta Eels. This epic clash has been branded as the battle of the west. Although the Panthers are favourites, Parramatta has beaten Penrith twice this season.

Sunday’s game is sure to be a classic. If your team made the grand final, Premium Strata is wishing your team good luck, and if your team didn’t make the grand final there is always next year.

Q&A

Yapping Dogs

Question: I live in a very large Strata unit complex and there is an overload of dogs here – almost like a Canine Hotel – but all in all they are well mannered but there are those, that, at times bark and yap for an hour to 5 hours at a time.

In this article we talk through options for lot owners when faced with yapping dogs in an apartment building.

Answer: Usually the strata by-laws would regulate matters such as odours and endless barking and clearly, the barking is causing you a nuisance.