2023 NSW State Election

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2023 NSW State Election

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Chris Minns and Labor Win NSW State Election: What Does It Mean For the Strata and Property Industries?

The NSW State Election held at the weekend has delivered many surprises, a new Labor government promising ‘a fresh start’ and plenty of policies that affect strata and the property industries.

A summary relevant to the strata sector and specific to SCA (NSW)’s work is listed below to avoid providing repetitive information you would have read elsewhere.

High-Level Summary

Chris Minns will become the 47^th Premier of NSW, with NSW Labor winning its first state election in 16 years.
The Labor Party will govern all states and territories on mainland Australia for the first time in 15 years.
The Poll Bludger projects that NSW Labor will be able to form a majority government and is leading in 53 out of the 93 seats, the Coalition in 27, the Greens in three and Independents in 10.
The ‘Teal’ Independent candidates failed to produce a teal tide in the NSW election following their campaigns targeting climate sustainability and government integrity.
The NSW Liberal Party has lost a slew of seats, including many once considered safe Liberal seats such as Wakehurst and Penrith.
Matt Kean, the Treasurer and Energy Minister, stated on Sunday saying he will not run for the NSW Liberal Party leadership.

So what does it mean for strata?

Policy

SCA (NSW) consulted and engaged with all major political parties regarding our three key policy priorities about our continued cooperation with the NSW Government on crucial building projects, supporting smarter and stronger legislative reforms in the property sector, and future-proofing emerging issues.

The official responses to SCA (NSW)’s election priorities from the NSW Liberal Party and The Greens were encouraging for their ability to grow the size and strength of the strata industry and communities across NSW.

SCA (NSW) has been engaging with the Labor Party in the lead up to the election and will continue to work closely with the incoming Labor majority government to ensure that strata are fairly and accurately represented as the new government consults stakeholders on its policy commitments.

For a full rundown of SCA (NSW)’s State Election 2023 campaign, including our full policy priorities document, press release articles, and political party response letters, visit the SCA (NSW) State Election 2023 website.

The key responses from The Greens NSW and NSW Liberals and Nationals to the issues addressed in our policy priorities were:

Priority Area 1 – Continuing Cooperation

The NSW Greens support broad consultation and engagement on key NSW Government building projects subject to consultation with stakeholders to ensure that all sectors are equally represented.
The NSW Liberals and Nationals seek to continue working with us on key building and property projects in the long-term to improve the lives of the 35 per cent of NSW residents who live in a strata-titled property.

Priority Area 2 – Supporting Smarter and Stronger Legislative Reforms

The NSW Greens support broad consultation and engagement in all legislative reform, particularly reform that supports consumers.
The NSW Liberals and Nationals believe that changes to comprehensive reforms to how buildings are designed, constructed and certified are justified to give consumers confidence that their buildings are defect-free, safe, and resilient.

Priority Area 3 – Emerging Strata Issues

The Greens NSW exhibited their support for broad representation and engagement on specialist government established bodies (like the PSEP), as well as the safe retrofitting of strata complexes to support the implementation of electric vehicle infrastructure.
The Greens NSW also opposed shifting the Emergency Service Levy onto individual insurance holders as a method of paying for fire and emergency services, however, is committed to working with key property stakeholders to ensure that the scheme is reviewed, and alternative funding arrangements are made.
The NSW Liberals and Nationals committed to engaging further on emerging strata issues in the next term of government, as they seek to implement their long-term plan for the residents of New South Wales.

Media

SCA (NSW) maintained a consistent presence in the core strata and property industry media publications in the lead up to the election.

The coverage was overwhelmingly supportive and delivered our key messages of continuing strata reform in NSW, restoring consumer confidence in the property sectors and abolishing practices that overtax NSW strata residents.

Examples of SCA (NSW) media coverage included:

Date	Publication	Title
8 March 2023	The Real Estate Conversation	Strata Community Association (NSW) warns the incoming NSW government to continue David Chandler’s fight against building Defects
8 March 2023	Flat Chat	Strata managers demand support for Chandler
9 March 2023	The Fifth Estate	Fabrizio Perilli, Woodside behaving badly & new cladding breakthrough
10 March 2023	Real Estate Business	Incoming NSW government urged to continue war against building defects
13 March 2023	Insurance News	Strata peak body pushes for ESL review as NSW prepares for March 25 election
21 March 2023	The Urban Developer	No End in Sight for State’s Cladding Crisis

Government and Stakeholder Relations

SCA (NSW) embarked on an extensive government and stakeholder relations campaign to raise the profile of strata throughout New South Wales. Highlights included:

Met with and sent briefing packs to portfolio ministers and shadow ministers from both major parties.
Obtained official responses and commitments from the NSW Liberals and Nationals and The Greens NSW.
Met with a variety of property industry stakeholders, including the Owners Corporation Network NSW.
Reached out to stakeholders with crossover interests such as the Property Council of Australia.

SCA (NSW) is looking forward to continuing the momentum in our advocacy with a new, incoming government and ministry over the coming days and months.

For more information, if you have any questions or would like to get involved in SCA (NSW)’s advocacy work, please visit our website or contact Shaun Brockman, National Policy and Advocacy Manager, shaun.brockman@strata.community.