Who is allowed to attend a strata committee meeting?
Quick answer
Committee meetings are generally open to committee members, with owners in most states able to attend as observers unless the meeting deals with specific excluded matters. Contractors, managers or other invitees can attend for a relevant item at the committee's discretion. State rules on owner attendance vary, so check yours.
Key takeaways
- Committee members always have a right to attend and participate
- Owner attendance rights as observers vary by state, and some matters can be closed to non-members
- Record who attended and in what capacity in the minutes to avoid later ambiguity
Attendance rights at committee meetings are one of the more state-specific areas of strata governance, so it's worth checking the current position rather than assuming.
Committee members
All current committee members are entitled to attend and participate in committee meetings, subject to quorum and notice requirements set by the scheme's by-laws and state legislation.
Owners who aren't on the committee
In several states, owners who are not committee members have a right to attend committee meetings as observers, though usually without a right to speak or vote unless invited to. Some states allow specific matters — often those involving another owner's personal or financial circumstances, disputes, or genuinely confidential matters — to be discussed with non-members excluded. This is a real area of state-by-state difference, so check your state's legislation or regulator, and your state's page — [NSW](/help), [VIC](/help), [QLD](/help) — for the exact rules that apply.
Strata managers and building managers
Where engaged, a strata or building manager typically attends committee meetings in a professional capacity to advise and action decisions, without being a voting committee member.
Contractors and other invited guests
The committee can invite a contractor, consultant or other relevant person to attend for a specific agenda item — to answer questions about a quote, for example — without that changing anyone's formal membership or voting rights.
Keeping this straight in your records
Meeting minutes should record who attended and in what capacity — committee member, observing owner, manager, or invited guest — so there's no ambiguity later about who participated in a decision and who was just present. This distinction also matters for privacy: sensitive personal matters discussed with observers present can create their own problems, which is part of why some states allow certain items to be closed to non-members.
Committee Hub versus meeting attendance
Attendance at a formal meeting is a separate question from who can see Committee Hub's private discussion threads — a Hub thread can be scoped much more tightly than an owner's right to attend a meeting, since it's an internal working space rather than the formal decision-making forum.
Strata committee meetings are always open to current committee members, and in many states owners who are not on the committee have a right to attend as observers, subject to some matters being closed for privacy or dispute reasons. Managers and contractors may attend in a professional or invited capacity without being voting members. Exact attendance rules vary by state legislation.
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