The Queensland State Governments introduced new Smoke Alarm laws which came into effect on 1 January 2017. The new laws were developed following the recommendations made after the 2011 fatal house fire at Slacks Creek in Brisbane’s south, which tragically claimed 11 lives including 8 children.

Almost 3 years into the new legislation and there has been little action taken to plan ahead for the significant smoke alarm upgrades by the deadline, despite many strata schemes likely requiring a special levy to be raised if upgrade costs are not planned.

To learn about the specific requirements to achieve smoke alarm compliance (ensuring the safety of all occupants) by the looming deadline and how to plan for group works in a strata building with potential to gain cost savings, read on.

You’ve been following my articles over the last couple of years, you know I have a friend who became a community manager. She, like all of us, loves it while simultaneously wanting to poke her eyes out. So, normal, right? Much to her amusement I have written several articles about the various scenarios managers – especially newer managers – find themselves in based on my observations of her experiences which in a way are reflections of my own experiences back in the day. Here’s what struck me this week: THAT guy.

You know who I’m talking about. That guy. Or that woman (for simplicity’s sake, we’ll use “guy” as the collective term). The one with a complaint or comment about everything. The one who fills your inbox. The one who leaves voicemail. The one who, on Friday at 6:15pm, makes an emergency complaint about a parking issue. THAT guy. Sometimes, that guy isn’t a bad guy, just a time sucker. And sometimes that guy is on the Committee!