Exporting NSW Strata Laws

Ever thought strata title could be an export commodity?

Well New South Wales has been exporting it’s strata laws for the last 50 years.

After introducing the Conveyancing (Strata Titles) Act in 1961 (which was was described in its introduction as "an Act to facilitate the subdivision of land in strata nd the disposition of titles thereto" it’s been copied over and over again.

First, other Australian states copied the new strata laws.  Beginning with Tasmania in 1962 (with changes to the Conveyancing and Law of Property Act 1884), Queensland in 1965 (with the Building Units Act 1965), Western Australia in 1967 (with the Strata Titles ct 1966), Victoria in 1967 (with the Strata Titles Act 1967), South Australian also in 1967 (with art XIXB of the Real Property Act 1886), the Australian Capital Territory in 1970 (with the Unit Titles Ordinance 1970) and Northern Territory in 175 with the Unit Titles Act 1975). 



Then the international spread of the NSW strata laws meant that they’ve been adopted and/or copied in Canada, New Zealand, Singapore, South Africa, Indonesia, Malaysia, Fiji, Philippines, Cayman Islands, India and Hong Kong through the 1970s and 1980s. And in the last 10 years Australian strata laws have been used as models for equivalent new laws in the United Kingdom and United Arab Emirates. 



Since 1961 the NSW strata laws have had two major revisions.  In 1974 when the Strata Titles Act 1973 started and in 1997 when the Strata Schemes Management Act 1996 began.  And, between those years the strata laws have had minor change over 30 times.

That's a pretty impressive first 50 years for an Australian legal innovation.  Let’s hope our current strata title leaders and innovators can keep up the good work.

Francesco ...