01
The terminology around Australia
South Australia generally uses strata corporation for a strata plan and community corporation for a community plan. New South Wales and Victoria use owners corporation. Queensland commonly uses body corporate. Older documents and everyday conversation may still use body corporate as a general description.
The label matters because the applicable Act, plan and registered rules determine the corporation's powers and procedures. A website, contract or committee paper should use the legal name shown on the scheme's records, while explaining equivalent terms for readers from other jurisdictions.
02
Who belongs to it?
Owners become members because they own a unit or lot; membership is not optional. When ownership transfers, membership follows the property. Tenants, occupiers, contractors and visitors may be bound by rules, but they are not usually members merely because they live or work at the property.
The corporation is not the same as the committee. The corporation is the full legal body of owners. A committee is a smaller group chosen to carry out authorised day-to-day functions. Nor is the corporation the strata manager: a manager is a service provider exercising only the functions that have been lawfully delegated.
03
What does the corporation do?
Typical responsibilities include administering the scheme, maintaining and insuring common property, raising contributions, keeping financial and corporate records, holding meetings, entering contracts and administering or enforcing the scheme's articles, by-laws or rules.
Some decisions can be delegated to a committee or manager. Others must be made by the owners in general meeting using the resolution required by the relevant law. Good administration starts by identifying the decision-maker before work begins.
04
The simplest way to think about it
The owners collectively are the corporation. The committee helps govern. The manager helps administer. Facilities teams and contractors carry out defined work. Clear role boundaries reduce duplication and prevent a service provider or individual committee member from appearing to exercise authority they do not have.
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