The Biggest Misunderstanding in QLD Body Corporate (I Hear It Every Week)

One of the biggest misunderstandings I see in Queensland body corporate schemes is about who decides what.

An owner will say: “Why didn’t the committee ask me before deciding?” A manager will say: “That’s not the committee’s decision to make.” A committee member will say: “The law says we can do this.”

Everyone’s technically right. But they’re talking about different things. And that confusion causes endless friction.

The hierarchy of decisions

Managers administer. They manage the building day-to-day. They coordinate contractors. They handle routine maintenance. They report to the committee.

Committees govern. They make policy decisions. They approve budgets. They set direction. They represent owners.

Owners vote on major matters. By-law changes. Special levies. Large capital expenditure. Decisions that affect the whole scheme require owner approval.

The confusion happens because the line isn’t always obvious. Is repainting a committee decision or does it need owner approval? Is fixing a broken pipe manager work or committee work?

Why this matters

When people understand who decides what, conflict drops.

An owner doesn’t get frustrated about not being consulted on a routine manager decision. A manager doesn’t overstep into decisions that require committee approval. A committee doesn’t bog down in operational details that the manager handles.

Everyone knows their lane.

The practical dividing lines

Manager handles (no committee needed): Routine maintenance, contractor coordination, day-to-day operations, emergency response, spending within approved budget.

Committee decides (manager reports, but committee approves): Annual budget, sinking fund contributions, major maintenance planning, contractor selection for large projects, policy enforcement, by-law changes (with owner vote), special levies.

Owners vote (requires majority approval): By-law changes, special levies, large capital expenditure, selling common property, major structural decisions.

There’s overlap. That’s normal. The key is that someone’s responsible at each level.

When the lines blur

A roof needs replacing. Manager identifies the need. Committee approves the budget and project timeline. Owners vote on the special levy to fund it.

Everyone involved, but at the right level. Nobody’s overstepping.

The committee role specifically

Committees govern. That means they make decisions about direction, policy, and spending within their authority. They don’t make operational decisions. They don’t manage day-to-day. They oversee.

A committee saying “get a new manager” is their decision. A committee saying “fix that light in the foyer” isn’t, that’s a manager decision within operational scope.

Understanding the difference prevents a lot of frustration on all sides.