OC Meeting Updates – Dec 2025
The OC continues to work with Mia Property and residents to improve building operations, security, and communication across The Rochester. The most recent meeting included:
• Community & Engagement: Thank you to Sonia and Aaron for hosting The Rochester Mingle last month and to our bin room volunteers and car lift volunteers who have been extra hard this month.
• Short Stay: The OC continues to refine the draft Short Stay Survey. Final distribution will be in the new year.
• EV Survey: 10 of 26 lots have responded so far. All are encouraged to complete the survey: https://forms.gle/jNMHUWbBUoBc37XA9
• Car Lift: We will be servicing the car lift doors within budget. Further security upgrade will follow.
• Maintenance & Security:
* The OC is reviewing the incidents and ongoing maintenance issues.
* Improvements to communal space cleaning are being progressed
* Balcony works communications continue to be refined.
* Car park security upgrade are being considered.
* Inappropriate waste stream co-mingling is becoming problematic. We are investigating. Solutions are being explored as we continue to feedback via comms to residents
• Finance: Year-to-date expenditure sits at 22% of budget, with 15% of the financial year elapsed. Follow-up is underway regarding term deposits and the insurance budget adjustment for 2026–27.
• Communications & Events: Engagement activities will be informal over the coming months. Website updates and comms planning remain ongoing.
Next Meeting: Monday 19 January 2026
Nov 2025
The OC continues to work with Mia Property and residents to improve building operations, security, and communication across The Rochester. The most recent meeting included:
• EV Survey: Have your say on EV charging at The Rochester — take our quick survey and help plan for the future of sustainable transport in our community! https://forms.gle/cqqHZHQwf6gdBxyi7
• Short Stay Survey: Work has commenced on developing a survey in relation to Short Stays at The Rochester and will be distributed in the coming weeks.
• Car Lift: Communication upgrades will be installed before finalising the new car lift maintenance contract.
• Thanks to our residents: A big thank-you to Sandra and Renee for efficiently resolving the stolen fob issue and to Adrian Wallace and Steve Barley for troubleshooting and resolving the major car lift problems.
• Maintenance & Security: The OC progressing priority issues including the balcony works, cleaning & maintenance, and security incident reporting.
• Finance: Year-to-date spending sits at 16% of budget (for 9% of the financial year).
• Community & Engagement: Lobby Mingle (14 Dec at 2 pm).
Oct 2025
The OC continues to work with Mia Property and residents to progress maintenance, security, and engagement activities for the year ahead. The most recent meeting included:
New Committee Members: Thanks to Michael and Renee’s contribution to the OC over the past years and a warm welcome to Aaron and Sally, newly elected to the OC Committee.
Office Bearers & Subcommittees: Trish will continue as Chair, Sally as Secretary, and Sandra as Treasurer. Aaron and Hannah will oversee building maintenance, Sandra is taking the lead with our EV strategy, Sally will take the lead on short stays, and Sonia will continue leading comms & engagement.
Maintenance Updates: Balcony repair works will proceed.
Community Events: Lobby Mingle on Sunday 14 December (2pm)
Governance: Meetings will now be held on the first Monday of each month.
Sep 2025
The OC continues to work with Mia Property and contractors to progress maintenance, review finances, and improve safety and communication. The most recent activity has included:
Balcony & building works: Mia is scheduling balcony repair at Lot 105 with the new owner.
Maintenance planning: 2025/2026 priorities have been scoped in the OC Project Dashboard, including an EV charging guideline update, a refreshed Owners’ Info Pack (car lift/parking & key rules), and a review of cleaning and waste contracts.
Energy & EV charging: The OC will obtain the last 12 months of power bills and EV usage data to set a fair monthly EV fee and assess benefits of solar PV cleaning. Advice will also be sought on risks from poor-quality e-device batteries.
Security & lighting: a review is underway for improvements to both internal and external building lighting and security
Finance update: 76% of the annual budget has been spent with 93% of the year passed. Levy arrears total ~$7,000 with debt-collection notices issued. Incorrect legal fees are being reversed. Electricity and water bills are being chased; a budget meeting with Mia was held on 18 Sep.
Comms & engagement: Website updates are in progress including information about the short stay ballot
Community events: Ideas in development include a pizza bake-off, carpark clean, a Movember challenge, and an International Women’s Day event.
Aug 2025
The OC continues to work with Mia Property and contractors to address building repairs, plan for 2026 priorities, and improve safety and security. The most recent activity has included:
Balcony works: Drainage upgrades are progressing, with quotes being finalised for staged balcony repairs.
Maintenance planning: Priorities for the 2025/26 financial year (balcony repairs, building cleaning, and car park controls) are being scoped, with costings underway.
Finance update: 69% of the annual budget has been spent with 86% of the year passed. Several lots remain in levy arrears; Mia is following up. A budget meeting will be held ahead of the AGM.
Basement update: Blocked drains and water leaks have been cleared and repaired; the resident-led clean was postponed until professional works were completed. Monitoring will continue.
Bins & waste: Soft plastics from PetStock are now being placed in the Bin Room. Capacity checks confirm Blue and Yellow bins are adequate, though overflow cardboard remains an issue. A replacement Yellow bin and e-waste collection are being pursued.
Safety & security: Residents on L1 and L2 have been asked to remove furniture/pots away from balustrades. Security upgrades (CCTV and access points for car lifts, stairwells, and bike/bin rooms) are being added to the OC project dashboard.
Community events: Pub quiz at the Rose was great. New ideas include a pizza bake-off during the carpark clean, a Movember challenge, and an International Women’s Day event.
All residents and owners have received notice regarding the annual clean-up of basement storage areas. This includes a strict reminder that no items may be stored in car spaces. A date for professional drain cleaning will be confirmed shortly.
Please ensure:
Nothing is stored in car spaces or over drain areas
Items stored behind cages do not block spoon drains
Belongings are elevated off the ground to avoid water damage
No items are stored on top of cages
Fire sprinklers are not obstructed (keep items at least 15 cm below sprinkler heads)
Hazardous or flammable items must be removed
⚠️ The OC is not responsible for damage caused to items not removed before drain cleaning.
For more information, please refer to the Owners Pack (Page 14) or contact admin@miaproperty.com.au.
The installation of the new brake system technology for the car lifts has been successfully completed. Work is ongoing to finalise the lift communication system (allowing emergency calls while inside the lift), with completion expected by the end of July 2025.
The OC has also commenced action to explore cost recovery from the original installer/manufacturer of the faulty brake system installed at the time of construction.
All residents or occupants using the car lift must:
Have their vehicle assessed by our service provider (ASK) for suitability
Complete a formal induction through ASK, organised via Mia Property
Short-term residents (e.g. Airbnb) are not permitted to use the car lift without completing this process and paying the induction fee, as outlined in the OC FAQ section: "How do I gain car park access?"
From 1 January 2025, under the Short Stay Levy Act 2024, Owners Corporations may introduce rules to ban short stay accommodation (e.g. Airbnb, Stayz).
Mia Property will hold a Zoom consultation within the next 4 weeks to explain the new legislation and its implications. A special resolution vote will follow to decide on the future of short stays in our building. More details to come.
We continue to experience frequent mailbox break-ins (approx. twice a month). Please ensure your mailbox is locked at all times. Unlocked boxes encourage theft.
Residents may request the OC to hold a spare mailbox key so we can secure it if we notice it left open.
Major works on:
Level 3: Roof insulation and drainage were completed in Jan–Feb 2025. The builder covered all but new waterproofing.
Level 5: Waterproofing was completed under warranty; additional rectification works were commissioned by the OC.
These works were delivered without budget overrun due to deferring non-urgent tasks (e.g. window cleaning, painting).
The OC has commissioned two independent reports to investigate drainage and facade issues. Drainage rectification works have been approved and are expected to commence soon. In preparation for repairs, Lot owners will need to clear their balconies of private property. Please note: no further facade repairs can begin until drainage issues are resolved.
Recent and ongoing maintenance includes:
Updated signage for car lifts and fire doors
Drain repair in the bin room (thank you to Fraser for fixing this)
Replacement signage for the passenger lift and fire door (approved)
Installation of garden grow lights on the ground floor (now complete)
Our dedicated volunteer maintenance team continues to conduct regular inspections and minor repairs. Please note that some larger projects may take time to implement, depending on budget availability.
A special thanks to residents who continue to contribute bottles and cans to our 10c collection. These funds (over $500 so far) have been used to purchase grow lights and tracks, with future savings allocated to garden plants.
The OC budget is currently on track, with 66% of funds spent and 61% of the financial year elapsed.