My name is Taryn Kong, and I am nominating as an ordinary member of the Body Corporate Committee (BCC) because I believe owners at Southport Central Residence (SCR) deserve a committee that is transparent, accountable and genuinely representative of the people whose levies it spends.
I am a chartered accountant and a scientist by training, which means I can read a financial statement and interrogate a technical report with equal confidence. In my day job I work in multi-disciplinary teams and with communities on sustainability challenges: work that depends on listening, building consensus and explaining complex issues in plain language. I have also served on other body corporate committees for three years, so I understand how strata governance is supposed to work. Outside work, I’ve travelled to more than 50 countries, and enjoy cooking, hiking and rock climbing: pursuits that keep me curious, practical and comfortable solving problems from unfamiliar angles.
My concerns about how SCR is run are specific. More than $1.5 million of owners’ levies used to acquire four units at SCR, held by CTS 35751 Investment Pty Ltd: an arrangement that leaves owners with little visibility over how those assets are managed. Hundreds of thousands of dollars have been deducted as “management” fees despite Mantra/Accor already being paid for rental management, and about $500,000 in legal fees has been paid for reasons that owners have not seen. When I asked the BCC chairman and the body corporate manager for details, I did not receive a substantive answer. Five years on, the investment has returned little beyond unrealised capital growth, while owners face a forecast 70 per cent increase in sinking fund levies from 2027. Owners are entitled to ask whether selling one or more of these units would serve us better than holding them.
If elected, I will pursue three things:
Transparency on expenditure. Full disclosure of management and legal fees, so owners can see that they are valid and represent value for money.
A genuine review of the investment units. These assets belong to owners and should deliver for owners. I will push for the committee to properly test the case for divestment against rising sinking fund levies and deferred maintenance.
Fair and open elections. Voting processes should be beyond question, including an end to pre-filled voting papers.
I am running alongside Chris Griffith, Paul Wang, Roy Manchip and Jimmy Jia who share these aims. I would be grateful for your vote.