Victoria’s Liberal Opposition and Greens Party have provided unparalleled in-principle support and commitment to property peak body Strata Community Association (Vic)’s election priorities, throwing down the gauntlet to the incumbent Labor Government to better support the state's $343 million strata property sector.
Victoria’s Liberal Opposition and Greens Party have provided unparalleled in-principle support and commitment to property peak body Strata Community Association (Vic)’s election priorities, throwing down the gauntlet to the incumbent Labor Government to better support the state's $343 million strata property sector.
Drawing on formal responses received in writing, and other policy commitments made during the campaign, the SCA (Vic) 2022 Victorian Election Policy Scorecard ranks the stance of each party on key policy recommendations:
1.6 million Victorians – approximately 25 per cent of the population, currently live in strata-titled properties such as apartment buildings and townhouse estates governed by owners corporations (formerly known as bodies corporate).
The strongest support and overall commitment to implementing recommendations across all of the priorities has come from the Victorian Greens, followed by the Victorian Liberal Party providing strong in-principle support and some commitments, while Victorian Labor has provided no specific commitments or support for SCA (Vic) recommendations at this time
The Greens have offered support and commitments to most, if not all of the policy recommendations proposed in SCA (Vic)'s election priorities. The Greens themselves are also allocating significant campaign resources to target Labor-held inner-city seats with higher strata density, including Richmond and Albert Park.
The Liberal Opposition's response specifically commits to implementing or investigating proposed minimum standards of education for Victorian strata managers, a sustainability education and support partnership between government and the strata industry, and creation of a base building information portal to respond to building defects in strata.
The response of the Labor Government only emphasises the potential implementation of some components in the context of planned legislative and regulatory review, or internal processes - expansion of Consumer Affairs Victoria (CAV)’s advice capabilities on owners corporations, minimum standards of education, and a base building information portal are all referred to in such terms.
"The key to implementing positive policy such as consumer protection and sustainability, is better recognising the scale and importance of strata living as it grows in popularity among Victorian constituents,” said SCA (Vic) President Gregor Evans.
"We strongly encourage the current government to reassess its commitment to investigating and implementing our recommendations, so that we can work together with a united purpose.”
"It is encouraging to receive formal responses from all of the major parties to our priorities for better integrating strata in future policies to improve the lives of Victorians.
"We welcome all support from across the political aisle, either in-principle, or as commitments in the next term of government, and we look forward to working constructively with the next government and other stakeholders to make this happen," Mr Evans said.
View the SCA (Vic) 2022 Election Policy Scorecard, and read the official responses from major political parties in full – Formal Responses from Victorian Political Parties to SCA (Vic) / 2022 SCA (Vic) Election Policy Scorecard.
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