The Dreaded 30-Minute Quorum Wait May Be Over: New ACT Omnibus Bill Proposes Amendments
On 17 September 2026, the Housing and Consumer Affairs Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 was presented to the ACT Legislative Assembly. The Bill responds to Recommendation 13 of the Standing Committee on Legal Affairs' ('Standing Committee') report on its Inquiry into the management of strata properties [1]
The Committee recommends that the ACT Government review current quorum requirements for general meetings and special resolutions, noting lower quorum requirements in other Australian jurisdictions
Recommendation 13
I raised this as a concern when I appeared before the Standing Committee on behalf of the Australian College of Strata Lawyers, where I noted the ACT's position as one of the few Australian jurisdictions that impose a quorum requirement. Paired with the current 28-day challenge period, it creates real practical absurdity. Here, I point to Spedding v Owners Corporation (ACAT, 10 June 2022) (the Manhattan decision) as a clear example: a reduced-quorum decision was ruled never to have taken effect due to a notice defect, despite having already been acted on and paid for, resulting in ACAT appointing an external administrator to take over the building's affairs. In my submission, this is exactly the kind of ‘unscrambling the egg’ scenario owners corporations should not have to face.[2] If a decision genuinely warrants challenge, ACAT is already the right forum for it, without the added uncertainty of an automatic, lengthy delay hanging over every reduced quorum outcome.
So, what is proposed to change?
1. Lower quorum thresholds
General meeting quorum, including for unit-titled retirement villages, drops from half of all unit owners to just one-quarter.
2. Proxy and absentee votes now count toward quorum
Under the current rules, meeting a quorum depends on who is physically present or represented. Under the new changes, absentee and proxy votes will count toward quorum itself, recognising those owners' participation even when they're not in the room.
3. Faster effect for reduced quorum decisions
Where attendance falls below the new one-quarter threshold, decisions will take effect the next day, rather than being held up for 28 days as they are now.
4. Petition process replaced with an ACAT pathway
Currently, the 28-day delay exists to give owners time to organise a petition opposing a decision. This is a process the ACT Government notes owners have found difficult to use in practice.[3] Under the new Bill, that petition mechanism is removed. Instead, owners will be able to apply to the ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal (ACAT) to overturn a decision made below quorum. This gives owners corporations a faster, more workable process while still preserving a formal avenue to dispute a decision.
[1] https://www.parliament.act.gov.au/parliamentary-business/in-committees/committees-11th-assembly/legal-affairs/inquiry-into-the-management-of-strata-properties
[2]https://www.google.com/gotourl=CAESjQEB6zswFQQCX8wANMYYQVUh6i97fUtKvFPgI2lFjRwla28VmRRDkYiEKaP49wlObWpZLNx2cIU8iDwMS0ArimD1g2aETzhwYeHVfuKr1QmYnskovwch4TFQuqQvIXT_T2HzKZ3vE_z76hfjfiDRBKskYDu3mp19vsB2ajKW_VqNeRWtCpoyfd2sCHVXn94
[3] https://www.act.gov.au/law-and-justice/law-reforms/changes-to-tenancy,-consumer-and-property-laws