Transparent financial management is going to be key in saving us money and in turning around the long-term culture of the body corporate committee from one of secrecy, arrogance, disregard for the views of owners and, above all, some questionable financial management of owners’ levy monies.
I am Chris Griffith, and I am standing for body corporate committee chair at the coming elections due in around late October. First, let me introduce myself. I have pursued two major careers during my life. The first is technology. I was a computer science graduate in the early 1970s, worked on mainframe systems, taught coding, and wrote technology syllabus for TAFE Victoria before operating a software business in Queensland. Coincidentally, my biggest contract was developing a networked PC-based body corporate management system for Body Corporate Services in the mid-1980s. It supported around 12,000 apartments from Cairns to the Gold Coast.
My second career was journalism. I researched at ABC Brisbane before long stints at The Sunday Mail and The Courier-Mail newspapers as an investigative reporter and, later, as Legal Affairs Writer at The Courier-Mail and its inaugural online reporter. Later, I was The Australian newspaper’s senior technology journalist for a decade, travelling and reporting on global technology conferences across the world. In retirement, I still develop some business systems and AI chatbots, and write on technological change.
Three years at Southport Central Residential has been a shock. I love the towers, the great recreational area, the magnificent views, the camaraderie of many residents, and the convenience of living here. Everything is close by. However, the experience with the body corporate has been something else. My first encounter centred around exorbitant charges, such as the $1000–$2000 fee asked by the previous BC manager for me to acquire a copy of the owners’ roll to start a newsletter. Needless to say, I initially wrote out the roll by hand. (In contrast, the new manager charges $20.70 for the same roll.)
That, together with denying owners access to the general ledger as a check on spending, and concerns that some maintenance may be neglected – the sinking fund forecast detailing maintenance needs and costs was abolished after 2018. Topping this is the scandal of the committee withdrawing more than $1.4 million of owners’ funds for a dubious investment scheme to buy four apartments in our own complex. The apartments were placed under the ownership of a private company operated by the chairman — a structure that offers no oversight by owners and guarantees we pay full capital gains tax at company rates when we sell. Owners initially had no knowledge of the withdrawal of the $1.4 million, by the way.
I acknowledge there are people doing good work in this complex, but we have to get away from this history of secret, unaccountable, and sometimes appalling financial management. That is the main reason I’m standing — to clear out this dark corner of operation and let the often good work by others continue. Even recently, we’ve seen this company claim expenses of $126,000 for legal fees and $154,000 for management fees over four years. Is it for real?
In short, the community team wants to clean up the act at SCR so that it runs as a well-managed business, stays within the law, and keeps levies as low as possible. We want to rein in unnecessary spending but ensure we undertake necessary maintenance. That way, we look after the long-term health of our towers and the economic health of owners. We also want to make sure residents feel safe in the complex. Security is a major concern for many here.
I hope you can vote for me and the community team so that we can get on with this incredibly important job. Let’s make the best of this opportunity together.