What do the chairperson, secretary and treasurer do?
The chairperson leads meetings, the secretary manages notices, minutes, the strata roll and correspondence, and the treasurer administers levies, scheme money, accounting records and financial statements. One committee member may hold more than one office, and duties may be delegated to a strata managing agent.
The chairperson, secretary and treasurer are the three office bearers responsible for key meeting, administrative and financial functions within a New South Wales strata scheme. The chairperson runs meetings and manages meeting procedure. The secretary organises notices, minutes, records and official communications. The treasurer manages levy notices, scheme money, accounting records and financial statements. They do not own the owners corporation or have unlimited authority — they carry out functions under strata law, committee decisions, owners corporation resolutions and any valid delegation to a strata managing agent.
Quick answer
The chairperson leads meetings, the secretary manages administration and records, and the treasurer manages levies and financial records. Together, they help the strata committee and owners corporation operate properly. One committee member may hold more than one office, and some or all duties may be delegated to a strata managing agent under a valid management agreement.
Roles at a glance
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How are the office bearers appointed?
After the strata committee is elected, its members must appoint a chairperson, secretary and treasurer at the committee's first meeting. A committee member may be appointed to one or more offices. In a small scheme, the same person may be chairperson, secretary and treasurer. In a larger scheme, the roles are often divided among different members. The chairperson, secretary and treasurer of the strata committee also hold the corresponding offices for the owners corporation.
What does the chairperson do?
The chairperson is responsible for leading meetings of both the owners corporation and the strata committee.
Preside at meetings when present
Confirm whether the required quorum is present
Make procedural determinations in accordance with strata law
Ensure the meeting follows the published agenda
Maintain order and keep discussion relevant
Facilitate fair, constructive and open discussion
Encourage attendees to discuss agenda items
Put motions to a vote and declare the result
Rule on meeting procedure and, where authorised by law, deal with motions that are unlawful, unenforceable or out of order
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What are the chairperson's new meeting duties?
NSW strata law changes that commenced on 1 April 2026 strengthened the chairperson's meeting responsibilities. The chairperson must ensure the agenda is followed, maintain order and encourage discussion that is fair, constructive and open. These requirements apply to owners corporation meetings and strata committee meetings.
In practical terms, the chairperson should give attendees a reasonable chance to speak, prevent personal attacks, keep debate focused on the motion and avoid allowing one person to dominate the meeting.
What does the secretary do?
The secretary is responsible for the scheme's core administrative and communication functions.
Prepare and distribute meeting minutes
Submit previous owners corporation minutes for confirmation at the next meeting
Give notices required under strata legislation
Maintain the strata roll and update owner or resident information
Arrange lawful inspection of owners corporation records
Answer communications addressed to the owners corporation
Convene strata committee meetings
Convene owners corporation meetings other than the first annual general meeting
Prepare or arrange meeting notices, agendas and supporting documents
Handle other administrative and secretarial matters connected with the owners corporation or committee
What does the secretary do before, during and after a meeting?
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What does the treasurer do?
The treasurer is responsible for the owners corporation's core financial administration and accounting records.
Notify owners of contributions or levies raised under the legislation
Receive and acknowledge money paid to the owners corporation
Bank and account for owners corporation funds
Keep accurate accounting records
Prepare financial statements
Prepare strata information certificates
Work with the committee or strata manager to monitor cash flow and levy collections
Help provide financial information for budgets, meetings and scheme decisions
Does the treasurer decide the levy amount?
No. The treasurer administers levies after they have been validly approved. The owners corporation sets levy contributions through the required meeting and budgeting process. The treasurer cannot independently impose a new levy, approve a special levy or change the scheme's budget.
Where a strata managing agent carries out the financial work, the treasurer and committee should still review reports, understand the scheme's financial position and ask questions about arrears, invoices and major expenditure.
Can duties be delegated to a strata manager?
Yes. The exact duties must be set out in the management agreement or other valid delegation. A manager may organise meetings, send notices, maintain records, process levies, manage accounts and prepare reports when authorised. Unless a compulsory appointment or another legal restriction applies, the elected office bearers and committee may generally continue to exercise functions that have also been delegated to the strata manager.
From 2026, a strata managing agent who exercises an owners corporation or office-bearer function must record how it was exercised and provide the owners corporation with those records every six months.
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What do the office bearers do day to day?
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What can the office bearers not do alone?
Change, make or repeal a by-law
Approve a special levy without the required owners corporation resolution
Override committee decisions on their own authority
Make decisions reserved to the owners corporation by law
Act outside the powers delegated to them by the committee or the scheme
What duties apply to every office bearer?
Act honestly and fairly
Use due care and diligence
Act for the benefit of the owners corporation as far as practicable
Comply with strata legislation and the scheme's lawful decisions
Avoid behaviour that unreasonably affects another person's use or enjoyment of a lot or common property
Use or disclose information received through the committee only when permitted by law or needed for committee work
Disclose relevant financial conflicts and avoid participating in affected committee decisions
Can the officers be paid?
Yes, but payment is not automatic. At an annual general meeting, the owners corporation may approve an amount in recognition of services already performed by an officer or another committee member since the previous annual general meeting. The payment should be transparent, included as a meeting motion and recorded in the minutes.
Can the same person hold all three roles?
Yes. NSW law allows one person to hold one or more of the offices of chairperson, secretary and treasurer. This can be practical in a small scheme, but it also concentrates meeting, records and financial responsibilities in one person. Where possible, schemes should use basic controls such as shared access to records, independent review of financial reports and more than one authorised person for important transactions.
What happens if an officer resigns or is removed?
An officer may leave the role if they resign in writing, cease to be a committee member, are replaced by the committee, have their office declared vacant by the owners corporation, or die. The committee generally appoints another eligible member to fill the vacancy for the balance of the term.
Key takeaways
The chairperson runs meetings and manages meeting procedure.
The secretary manages notices, minutes, the strata roll, correspondence and records.
The treasurer administers levies, money, accounting records and financial statements.
The strata committee appoints all three officers after it is elected.
One person may hold more than one office.
A strata manager may perform delegated office-bearer functions.
The chairperson has no casting vote and cannot make decisions alone.
The treasurer administers levies but does not set levy amounts independently.
All office bearers must act honestly, fairly, carefully and for the owners corporation.
Owners corporation resolutions and strata law limit what each officer can do.
Related questions
What does the strata chairperson do?
The chairperson presides at meetings, determines quorum and procedural matters, follows the agenda, maintains order and encourages fair and constructive discussion.
What does the strata secretary do?
The secretary manages notices, minutes, the strata roll, correspondence, meetings, document inspections and general administration.
What does the strata treasurer do?
The treasurer issues levy notices, receives and accounts for scheme money, keeps accounting records, prepares financial statements and prepares strata information certificates.
Can these duties be delegated?
Yes. Some or all functions may be given to a strata managing agent under a valid agreement. The treasurer can also delegate specified functions to another committee member with committee approval.
Does the chairperson get a deciding vote?
No. The chairperson does not have a casting vote but may vote in their own right if otherwise entitled.
Who chooses the office bearers?
The strata committee appoints the chairperson, secretary and treasurer from among its members at the first committee meeting after the annual general meeting.
Can one person be chairperson, secretary and treasurer?
Yes. NSW law allows one person to hold one or more of the three offices.
Can owners remove an office bearer?
Yes. The owners corporation may declare the office vacant by resolution, and the committee can appoint another eligible person in accordance with the Act.