The Annual General Meeting (AGM): Your Guide to Effective Participation

This yearly gathering is where lot owners vote on budgets, elect the strata council, and set the rules for the community. Show up unprepared, and you risk leaving disappointed with the outcomes. Walk in knowing the rules of engagement, and you directly influence your living environment.

Here is your complete guide to preparing for, participating in, and navigating your strata AGM under Western Australian strata laws.

The Power of Preparation: Decoding Your AGM Notice

At least 14 days before the meeting date, a package of documents will arrive in your mailbox or inbox. This is the Notice of Meeting. Treat it as your instruction manual for the year ahead.

Reviewing these documents early gives you time to form intelligent questions. You will not have time to read dense financial reports while sitting in the meeting room.

A standard Notice of Meeting includes several critical documents you need to review:

Setting the Agenda: How to Submit a Winning Motion

You do not have to wait for the existing strata council to suggest improvements. Any lot owner can submit a motion (21 days prior to the meeting)—a formal proposal for the owners to vote on.

Want to install solar panels on the common roof? Submit a motion. Think the garden needs a complete redesign or the pet by-laws need updating? Submit a motion.

To get your idea on the agenda, you must send your proposed motion in writing to the strata secretary or your strata manager well before the Notice of Meeting is distributed. Sending it a full month before the expected meeting date ensures it gets included.

Understanding the Rules of the Room

The meeting officially starts only when a quorum is reached. A quorum is the minimum number of owners required by law to be present for the meeting to proceed.

In Western Australia, a standard quorum is (50%) of the lots entitled to vote. However, WA law has a strict backup plan. If 50% of the lots entitled to vote do not show up, the meeting pauses for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes have passed, whoever is present (in person or by proxy) is legally taken to constitute a quorum, and the meeting proceeds. If you don’t show up, you leave the decisions to whoever does.

How to Vote if You Cannot Attend

If you cannot attend, do not forfeit your voice. Use a proxy form. A proxy allows you to designate someone else—a neighbor, a family member, or the chairperson of the meeting—to vote on your behalf.

You have two main options when assigning a proxy:

• Directed Proxy: You write down exactly how you want your representative to vote on every single agenda item. You decide the vote; they simply deliver it.
• Undirected Proxy: You give your representative the authority to listen to the debate on the floor and vote however they see fit.

The Two Types of Voting

Voting on the floor usually happens via a simple show of hands. Each lot gets one vote.

However, a specific owner or proxy holder can demand a poll vote. In a poll vote, hands are not counted equally. Votes are weighed according to the unit entitlement of each lot. Unit entitlement represents your lot’s value relative to the rest of the complex. A large three-bedroom penthouse will have a higher unit entitlement—and therefore more voting power in a poll vote—than a small one-bedroom apartment.

Protect Your Right to Vote

Keep your accounts up to date. Owners who are “unfinancial”—meaning they owe outstanding strata levies at the exact time of the meeting—are stripped of their right to vote on most items, including ordinary and special resolutions and other resolutions they can participate in the voting. Pay your levies before the AGM to protect your voting rights.

Ordinary vs. Special Resolutions

Not all decisions require the same level of agreement. The agenda specifies what type of resolution is required for each motion. Knowing the difference changes how you prepare for the debate.

A motion that wins a simple show of hands on the floor will still fail if a vocal minority with more than 25% of the total unit entitlement votes against it. This type of vote also allows owners who were not present at the meeting or did not cast a vote a further 28 days from the meeting to cast a vote.

Electing the Council of Owners

The AGM is where you elect the Council of Owners. In WA, a council must consist of between 3 and 7 members. This small group of volunteers acts as the executive committee for the building, making day-to-day decisions between AGMs.

If you are frustrated with how the building is run, nominate yourself for the council. You do not need formal property management experience to join. You need common sense, a willingness to read emails, and a desire to protect the asset.

The strata manager handles the heavy lifting of compliance, accounting, and contractor coordination. The council provides the necessary instructions and approvals to the manager.

How to Speak Up Effectively

Disagreement during an AGM is normal. If you want to challenge a motion or question a financial line item, do it formally and logically to ensure you are heard.

Follow these best practices for debate:

• Wait for the item: Do not interrupt the meeting to complain about a broken window when the agenda is focused on insurance. Wait until the chairperson introduces the relevant agenda item.

• Address the Chair: Direct your comments to the chairperson running the meeting, not directly to the person who submitted the motion. This prevents arguments from becoming personal.

• Stick to the facts: Keep emotion out of the room. State your objection based on facts, alternative quotes, or strata legislation.

Saying, “I oppose this landscaping quote because the company has poor reviews, and I have provided an alternative proposal that saves us 20%,” is highly effective. Shouting across the room or attacking the current council will likely result in the chairperson shutting down your argument.

If you want to discuss a topic not on the printed agenda, wait for the “General Business” section at the end of the meeting. Keep in mind that binding votes cannot be taken on items raised during General Business without prior notice.

The Strata Manager’s Role

You will likely see your strata manager sitting at the front of the room, often running the meeting alongside the chairperson. They are not the boss of the building.

The strata manager acts as an administrative facilitator. During the AGM, they:

• Ensure the meeting follows strict WA legal procedures
• Accurately record the votes and minutes
• Answer technical questions regarding strata law
• Count the proxies and confirm quorum

They do not vote unless they have received a proxy. They do not make the final decisions. You, the collective owners, hold the power. The manager is there to guide the complex administrative process and execute your instructions after the meeting concludes.

After the Gavel Falls

The meeting ends, but the administrative work continues. The decisions made at the AGM are legally binding.

Within a few weeks, the strata manager or the elected strata secretary will distribute the official meeting minutes to all owners. Read them thoroughly to verify they accurately reflect the votes taken. The minutes are the official legal record of the corporation.

The newly elected council of owners steps into their roles. Any changes to your strata levies will be applied to your next quarterly notice. Any new by-laws passed via Special Resolution are lodged with Landgate to become legally enforceable. The framework set at the AGM dictates everything that happens on your property for the next twelve months.

Frequently Asked Questions