1.5 MILLION INVESTMENT SCANDAL FUELS BODY CORPORATE REVOLT

A group of seven owners at one of Australia's largest body corporates is pledging to overhaul what they describe as a culture of secrecy and poor financial oversight within the current committee. The team — Chris Griffith (Chair), Bob Cartledge (Secretary), Paul Wang (Treasurer), and ordinary member candidates Taryn Kong, Roy Manchip, Jimmy Jia and Bella Aden, bring backgrounds spanning journalism, law, accounting, engineering, property management, the military and education. Central to their campaign is the CTS 35751 Investments Pty Ltd scheme, under which close to $1.5 million of owners' sinking fund money was used initially without owner approval to purchase four apartments within the complex, held through a company controlled by the current chairman. Several candidates note that a Queensland Body Corporate and Community Management (BCCM) adjudicator ruled the arrangement unlawful, ordering the units be sold and funds returned to the sinking fund — a decision the committee has since challenged through QCAT. That's only the start of their concerns. Candidates also point to unexplained management and legal fees amounting to hundreds of thousands of dsollars, the absence of an official sinking fund maintenance forecasting plan for eight years, deteriorating infrastructure, restricted owner access to financial records, and concerns about the fairness of voting processes, including the use of pre-filled proxy forms. They say this all amounts to owners paying more in levies. The massive 40-storey, three tower complex is valued at over $1 billion, and insurance premiums shared with retail and commercial arms amount to more thn $1 million per annum. If elected, the team says it will prioritise full financial disclosure, the axing of the investment scheme, competitive tendering to control costs, tight financial control, and reforms to ensure transparent, verifiable elections. Several candidates frame their motivation as restoring owners' trust, protecting the long-term value and safety of the complex, and keeping levies in check through proper financial management.

Chris Griffith (chairman nominee) brings a background in technology (early computer science graduate, built a body corporate management system in the 1980s) and journalism (investigative reporter at The Courier-Mail and senior technology writer at The Australian). His platform centres on transparent financial management, owner access to the general ledger, better security at the complex, and getting rid of unnecessary soending. His central concern remains the committee's undisclosed $1.4 million withdrawal to buy four apartments held by a company controlled by the chairman, plus questioned legal and management fees. He aims to restore accountability and control levies through careful spending.

Bob Cartledge, nominating for secretary, brings a legal and public service background to the commitee: 20+ years as a federal public service national security adviser, an LLB, and later law lecturing at the University of the South Pacific in Vanuatu and Fiji. An SCR owner since 2018 and former committee member (2018–2019), he cites mismanagement including strained relations with other Southport Central bodies corporate and visible maintenance neglect. He highlights a 2022 Adjudicator ruling finding a "wholesale failure" of transparency regarding CTS 35751 Investments. His priorities: recovering invested funds, proper sinking fund funding, rebuilding relationships, and publishing a detailed maintenance program.

Honggang (Paul) Wang, nominating for treasurer, brings 25+ years in the property industry and a decade running an onsite management business, which has given him direct exposure to body corporate operations in other complexes. He owns five fully-paid properties, holds a Master's from the University of Canberra, and has experience managing tradespeople and renovation projects. Wang supports the "community team's" aims to curb excessive spending while maintaining necessary upkeep, emphasizing transparent financial operations so owners can trust their levies are spent wisely rather than on unnecessary pursuits.

Taryn Kong, nominating as an ordinary committee member, is a chartered accountant and scientist with three years' prior body corporate experience. She too cites the $1.5 million in owners' levies used to acquire four SCR units via CTS 35751 Investment Pty Ltd, the unexplained "management" and legal fees, and rising sinking fund levy increase from 2027. She led a team which pdepared a submissiom to the BCCM to overturn voting papers that were distributed with the voting choices pre-filled. Her priorities: full disclosure of fees, a genuine review of the investment units against divestment options, and fair elections without pre-filled voting papers.

Roy Manchip, anowner for 15 years, is a former army officer with 40+ years in leadership, business, and risk management. He's concerned about high fees, poor maintenance, and lack of transparency at SCR. His central issue also is the CTS 35751 Investment scheme, with the ruling challenged via QCAT. If elected, he aims to improve transparency, control costs through competitive tendering, and give owners a stronger voice.

Jimmy Xueshan Jia, is a semi-retired chartered engineer with 38 years in water, oil, gas and clean energy industries. He has lived at SCR for nearly 10 years. He's raised concerns for eight years about wasteful legal spending and requested four separate AGM voting paper inspections over alleged manipulation, yet receiving no responses to his emailed questions. Investigating the chairman's investment company has brought him threatening defamation letters. His priorities: financial transparency, a thorough review of the investment company's management and possible divestment, and fair elections ending pre-filled voting papers.

Isabella Aden, a retired education professional and Tower 1 owner, has a background in communication and research. She has spent years studying strata legislation, meeting papers and financial records, and has a deep knowledge of body corporate matters. She champions transparency, proper consultation and accountability, especially around levy spending and decisions affecting owners' homes. Her priorities include quality maintenance, responsible financial management, protecting long-term property values, and preserving liveability—with particular passion for gardens and green spaces. If elected, she pledges to ask hard questions, seek clear answers, and advocate firmly for owners' interests.