Short answer
There is no single dollar figure for “what the committee can spend without a vote” — the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) instead sets spending rules around section 102. The key ones: for spending on any one item over $30,000, the owners corporation must obtain at least two independent quotations (s 102(1); the $30,000 figure is set by the Regulation); a large strata scheme must not spend more than 10% above the amount estimated for that item at the annual general meeting (s 102(3)); the owners corporation can lift or vary these limits by resolution at a general meeting (s 102(4)); and genuine emergencies are exempt (s 102(5)). When a spend is large or unusual, the safe course is to put it to the owners at a general meeting.
What section 102 actually says
Section 102 of the Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) doesn’t set one flat “committee limit” — it layers requirements as the spend rises:
- Two quotes over $30,000 (s 102(1)). For expenditure on any one item above the prescribed amount, the owners corporation must get at least two independent quotations before committing. The prescribed amount is set by the Strata Schemes Management Regulation 2016 (cl 25) at $30,000.
- The large-scheme cap (s 102(3)). A large strata scheme must not spend more on an item than the amount set for that item in the estimates adopted at the AGM, plus 10%.
- Owners can lift the limits (s 102(4)). The owners corporation can remove or vary these restrictions by resolution at a general meeting.
Note this is framed around the owners corporation’s spending; a committee acts for the owners corporation, so the same limits bind what it can commit to. Your scheme’s by-laws can add their own controls, so check them too.
The emergency exception (s 102(5))
These limits are overridden where the spend is needed for a genuine, immediate emergency — for example a burst water pipe, storm or fire damage, an electrical or security-system failure, or broken glass that leaves the building unsafe. In those cases the committee can spend what’s necessary to make the building safe and limit the damage straight away, without waiting to organise a general-meeting vote. It’s still good practice to record the decision and report it to owners afterwards.
Straita keeps you on the cautious side
Straita takes the conservative path for you and keeps the work easy: it flags when a spend is heading toward the level that needs quotes or a general meeting, prompts the two quotes over the $30,000 threshold, and keeps the record — so the committee stays on the safe side of the rule without having to memorise it.
Primary sources
- Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) — s 102 — spending limits, the two-quote requirement, the large-scheme cap, owner variation, and the emergency exemption.
- Strata Schemes Management Regulation 2016 — cl 25 — the prescribed amount ($30,000) for the two-quote rule.
- NSW Government — Strata schemes (Fair Trading) — official guidance for owners and committees.