Title: Governing the Compact City: The Challenges of Apartment Living in Sydney, Australia
Abstract: Abstract This paper addresses the challenges facing the strata sector in Sydney in the context of current Australian metropolitan planning strategies promoting increased urban consolidation. It argues that the current focus on higher density development is vulnerable to challenges of regulation, representation and termination in strata developments. Furthermore, the increasing size and complexity of strata schemes as well as the existence of ageing strata stock are placing pressure on the strata title system in NSW and these problems are likely to escalate as an increasing proportion of the population move into strata. Therefore, it is essential to comprehend the issues facing strata developments if they are to be effectively tackled. The concept of 'governance' provides one mechanism for improving this understanding. Keywords: Governancestrata titlehousing supplyplanning Acknowledgements The authors would like to thank Dana Quintal, Kristian Ruming, Jack Barton and Kwoh-Jack Tan at the City Futures Research Centre as well as participants at the European Network for Housing Research conference in Rotterdam in June 2007 and the State of Australian Cities Conference in Adelaide in November 2007 for their constructive comments on earlier versions of this article. They are also grateful to four anonymous referees for their thoughtful comments on a previous draft. Notes 1 This issue has received some attention in the international literature, most notably work by Blandy et al. (2006 Blandy, S., Dixon, J. and Dupuis, A. 2006. Theorising power relationships in multi-owned residential developments: unpacking the bundle of rights. Urban Studies, 43(13): 2365–2383. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]) on multi-unit developments in New Zealand and the UK. 2 Years refer to the original Act. Amendments have been made in most cases. 3 This figure is for people living or working in bodies corporate schemes in 2007. This figure includes, but is not limited to, residential strata residents. No reliable Australia-wide figure for residents of strata schemes is available. 4 Estimate from NSW Department of Lands, 2007 NSW Department of Lands. 2007. Strata Database, Sydney: NSW Department of Lands. [Google Scholar] and ABS, 2006. 5 Based on a figure of an average of 1.9 people per flat, unit or apartment in the Sydney statistical division, calculated from ABS 2006 Census Data. 6 Who deal mainly with maintenance and cleaning. 7 Who undertake the day-to-day management of the building, manage external contractors and provide accounting services for the owners' corporation. 8 In 2006, just over 50 per cent of flats, units and apartments in the Sydney Statistical Division were rented privately (ABS, 2006 ABS (Australian Bureau of Statistics). 2006. 2006 Census Data, Cat. No. 2068.0 [Google Scholar]). 9 A term borrowed from Shearing & Stenning (1983 Shearing, C. and Stenning, P. 1983. Private property: implications for social control. Social Problems, 30(5): 493–506. [Crossref], [Web of Science ®] , [Google Scholar]). 10 Applications can also be made to the NSW Supreme Court for termination where there is no unanimous agreement. However, to date, no strata schemes have been terminated in this manner in NSW. 11 All the other Australian states and the ACT also require agreement by all lot owners before the termination of a strata scheme (NSW Government, 2003 New South Wales Government. 2003. Living in Strata Developments in 2003, Sydney: NSW Office of Fair Trading. [Google Scholar]). 12 The figure reported for existing schemes refers to residential only strata schemes, while the figure reported for terminated schemes refers to all strata schemes, including commercial, industrial and mixed-use schemes. Therefore, the figure for termination of residential only strata schemes is likely to be even lower than the figure reported here. 13 A body that lobbies on behalf of development interests. 14 The work of Dixon & Dupuis (2003 Dixon, J. & Dupuis, A. (2003) 'Gatedness' and governance: residential intensification in Auckland, New Zealand, Paper presented at the Gated Communities: Building Social Division or Safer Communities? Conference, University of Glasgow, 18–19 September, Glasgow [Google Scholar]) is recommended in drawing this issue to attention in the New Zealand context.