If anyone knows a thing or two about the inner workings of NSW Fair Trading it’s SCA (NSW) Director Colin Grace. Colin is a much-liked and respected lawyer and partner in Grace Lawyers and has been on the SCA (NSW) Board since 2012. He was also elected to the Board from 2004-2006.
Colin worked for the NSW Government for around 20 years. His experience includes work at the former Bureau of Consumer Affairs (now NSW Fair Trading) as a clerk in the Fair Rents and Strata Titles Board and eventually he became the Registrar of the Strata Titles Board and manager of the Strata Titles Office.
Since 2007 Colin has been a part-time member of the Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal (CTTT) and is a qualified level 4 educator and LEADR Mediator.
In 1998, Colin decided it was time to work in the private sector and so began his experience in private practice providing strata and community title legal services to owners, owners corporations, developers and government. He formed Grace Lawyers in 2005.
Colin says that his career passion is to create a legacy in Grace Lawyers to be a leading firm and well respected by both peers and clients. To date the highlight of his career has been seeing people within the practice reach senior positions including three becoming partners since the business began.
As Chair of the SCA (NSW) Policy Committee, Colin was instrumental in directing the organisations submissions and participating in various meetings with the NSW Government on the development of the new strata laws. He is now providing training to the industry on implementing the new laws and wants to give the strata management industry some advice on what it needs to do from here. In his direct way, Colin says it’s time to grow up and move forward into the new legal regime, update systems and procedures and that it’s time to charge properly and be transparent.
Colin does have some wise words of advice to anyone new to the strata industry and that is, get involved, it’s not just a job. You can make it fun and enjoyable, meet some of the best people ever and make great friendships. Colin is a keen motorcycle rider and he and several strata managers and industry service providers regularly get together at weekends and ride the open roads forming friendships along the way.
So where to from here? Colin says in 10 years’ time he will be the old wise one sitting in the corner helping his team increase their knowledge and take Grace Lawyers further than he ever could. He also says he’ll be taking lots of holidays.