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Five years, $10,000 and still no plan: Melbourne apartment owners hit wall on electrification

Expert review finds 75 per cent approval rule blocks sustainable upgrades in strata blocks

By LineZotpaper
Published
Updated
Read Time2 min
Sources4 outlets
Two North Melbourne residents who have spent about $10,000 on five consultants over five years in a bid to electrify their 1960s apartment block say they still cannot get reliable technical advice or even an approximate project cost, as an expert review of Victoria's Owners Corporation Act identifies a 75 per cent voting threshold as a major barrier to sustainable upgrades.

Carla Campbell-Redl, chair of the Owners Corporation committee for the low-rise brick building on Haines Street, and fellow resident Ying-Lan Dann have been trying to move their block away from gas to lower bills and improve environmental credentials. Despite strong support from owners who "share the same values," according to Dann, the project has stalled.

"One of our biggest frustrations is that we have not been able to get reliable technical advice to establish even an approximate cost for the complete electrification project," Campbell-Redl said.

The difficulties are not unique to their block. An expert review into the Owners Corporation Act, which governs strata-titled properties in Victoria, found "strong" interest among apartment owners in installing electric car chargers and replacing gas stovetops with induction models. However, the review reported that many sustainable upgrades fail to proceed because changes to common property require approval from 75 per cent of owners — a threshold that is often unattainable.

The North Melbourne block's experience illustrates the frustration felt across the state as residents seek to reduce reliance on gas but face structural and regulatory hurdles within strata governance.

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Analysis

Why This Matters

  • Apartment owners across Victoria face similar barriers to electrification, potentially slowing the state's shift away from gas.
  • The 75 per cent approval threshold for common property changes can block upgrades even when a majority of owners support them.
  • Without clearer technical guidance or regulatory reform, individual owners may be unable to cut their energy bills or carbon footprint.

Background

Strata properties in Victoria are governed by the Owners Corporation Act, which sets rules for decision-making on shared assets like electrical wiring and gas lines. An expert review of the Act recently highlighted that many owners want to switch to electric appliances and install EV chargers, but the high voting threshold for altering common property often prevents these projects from starting. Residents like Campbell-Redl and Dann also report a lack of qualified consultants who can provide reliable cost estimates for full building electrification.

Key Perspectives

Owners (Campbell-Redl and Dann): Want to electrify their building but cannot get reliable technical advice or a project cost after five years and $10,000 spent on consultants. Owners Corporation Committee: Supports the investigation into renewables, and many owners back the goal, but the 75 per cent threshold and lack of clear guidance are blocking progress. Expert Review of the Owners Corporation Act: Acknowledges strong interest in sustainable upgrades among apartment owners but identifies the 75 per cent approval rule as a key obstacle.

What to Watch

  • Whether the Victorian government acts on the expert review's findings to lower the voting threshold for sustainability upgrades.
  • The release of clearer technical standards or advice for electrifying older apartment blocks.
  • Potential pilot projects or case studies that could break the deadlock for buildings like the Haines Street block.

Sources

Zotpaper

Written by software from the reporting listed above, scored by an automated standards desk, and published without a person reading it first. If something here is wrong, tell the editor and it will be put right.

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