A plain-English guide for owners – what an AGM is, the different ways to have your say, and how to take part if you can't make it on the night.
The official meeting notice, the electronic voting paper, and the explanatory information for each motion are all on the strata voting platform. The link below comes from the email you'll have received from them.
Have your sayEvery owner receives the official meeting notice – the agenda, the motions, the voting paper and the explanatory material.
Can't make it on the night? Vote online ahead of time through the strata voting platform, or appoint a proxy to vote for you.
Registration opens 15 minutes before the start. The meeting works through the agenda motion by motion – discussion first, then the vote, in the room and online.
Outcomes are recorded in the minutes and circulated to owners – decisions on levies, budgets and the new Council take effect from here.
The Annual General Meeting is the once-a-year meeting of all owners in the strata scheme. It's the main point in the year where owners (not just the Council of Owners or the strata manager) get to make decisions about how the building is run.
Every owner is entitled to attend, speak, and vote. Tenants don't vote, but an owner can send a proxy in their place.
The exact agenda is set out in the meeting notice, but an AGM typically covers things like the budget and levies for the year ahead, approving the accounts, electing the Council of Owners, insurance, and any specific motions owners have put forward.
Some of these decisions affect what you pay and how the building is maintained, which is why turning up – or making sure your vote is counted – matters.
Decisions at an AGM are made by the owners who take part. Motions can pass or fail on a small number of votes, and some matters need a certain proportion of owners to be valid at all. If too few owners take part, the meeting may not be able to do its business.
Put simply: the people who show up decide. Voting – live, by proxy, or in advance – is how you make sure your apartment has a voice in that.
If you're attending in person, registration opens 15 minutes before the start so your attendance and entitlement to vote can be confirmed. The meeting works through the agenda in the notice, motion by motion, with a chance to discuss each before it's voted on.
Joining remotely works much the same way – you'll be able to listen, follow along and ask questions, and cast your votes through the online platform.
If you can't make a meeting, you don't have to miss out. A proxy is simply someone you authorise to vote on your behalf – and it isn't only for the AGM. A proxy can act for you at any general meeting, and on votes held outside meetings too, so your apartment keeps a say on all strata matters even when you can't take part yourself. Unlike pre-voting, your proxy is part of the discussion and can respond to what comes up before votes are taken.
Appoint a proxy whenever you can't take part yourself but still want your apartment's vote to count. Motions can turn on a small number of votes, and some need a minimum level of owner participation to be valid at all – so a proxy keeps you in the decision even when life gets in the way.
It's also the right choice when you'd rather your vote was cast by someone who'll be in the room and across the discussion, instead of locking your choices in early through pre-voting.
Your proxy can be another owner, a neighbour, a friend, or a family member – they don't have to be an owner themselves. The important thing is that it's someone whose judgement you trust, because they'll be making decisions in your name.
You can give them a free hand to vote as they see fit, or direct how you'd like them to vote on particular motions. A quick conversation beforehand goes a long way – what matters to you, and how you'd lean on the bigger items.
These steps cover the most common case – appointing a specific person (a neighbour, friend or family member) to vote for you.
1. Your details. At the top, write your name (or all owners' names) and your lot number, next to "I/We… being the owner/s of lot number/s…".
2. Name your proxy. The form lists three options; you cross out the two you're not using. We'd suggest Option 3 (your named person only) – it keeps your vote entirely in the hands of the person you've chosen, which gives you and them the most control over how it's cast. Option 1 names your person but falls back to the Chairperson if they can't attend, and Option 2 appoints the Chairperson outright. Write your person's name in the option you keep, and cross out the other two.
3. Directions (optional). If you want to steer how they vote on particular motions, note it; otherwise leave it open for them to use their judgement.
4. Date it.
5. Sign it. A sole owner signs on their own. If the lot has more than one owner (for example joint owners), every co-owner must sign for the proxy to be valid. Print each name under the signature.
6. Company owner. If the lot is owned by a company, an authorised person (director, secretary, etc.) signs.
Return the completed, signed form at least 4 working days before the meeting. Send it to the Strata Manager, or hand it to the person you've appointed so they can bring it with them on the night. Don't leave it to the last minute – a late form may not be accepted.
If you ever need to cancel a proxy, give notice to both the proxy holder and the Strata Manager.
If you're unsure how to vote, appoint a proxy, or take part, get in touch and we'll point you in the right direction.