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Scanning Sydney’s skyline, towering cranes are a common sight. Housing affordability in New South Wales has been a hot topic in recent years and as more people turn to apartment living, the rules governing common property, joint decision-making and how disputes between neighbours are resolved, are more important than ever. Once considered to be a ‘niche’ area of practice, strata law is increasingly practical and relevant.

According to the “Australasian Strata Insights 2024 Report and Infographics” published by the UNSW City Futures Research Centre, around one in six Australians reside in strata complexes. Referring to the Australian Bureau of Statistics 2021 Census data, the report notes that 2.5 million people reside in private apartments across Australia and in New South Wales almost 1.29 million people reside in private apartments.

Allison Benson, principal at Benson Legal, is passionate about shining a spotlight on this area of law. She points out that strata law is a lucrative multi-billion-dollar industry and aside from the people who live in strata dwellings there are those who work in strata related occupations, from lawyers to strata managers and building professionals. “It is a huge industry … and it’s relatively … overlooked,” she says.

Benson enjoys practising in this area of law due to its diverse nature.

She herself grew up in a small town near Grafton, with a population of around 100 people. But unless you live in a remote location, Benson believes almost everybody would know at least one person who has lived in a strata complex and similarly would know at least one person who has had an issue. She explains that those who work in the field are often driven by a desire to help those in need. “We try and assist people in these areas because a lot of times, when people find us, they’re really quite desperate. …

“[I]t’s really helping or trying to reach out [to] the community as well. … I love to help people. It’s a very people-orientated area. It’s not dry, far from it. It’s personality-based, it can be fun … tiring … but it is really beneficial to see the smiles on people’s faces,” she says.

Benson has been a member of the Australian College of Strata Lawyers for at least a decade and she acknowledges strata law is a niche area of law. She emphasises the importance of furthering people’s understanding of strata law and the need for a system or framework that works for the people living and working within this space. “[W]e want to develop those laws for the common good of everybody,” she says.

The College is offering its inaugural Gary Bugden Essay Prize to early career solicitors and law students. The competition was named after Gary Bugden OAM, founding President of the College and respected legal practitioner in this field, for his remarkable contribution to strata and community title law in Australia.

Amongst other things, the winner of the junior lawyer category will receive a prize of $2,000, and the winner of the student category will receive a prize of $1,000.

Benson, who is Chair of the Judging Panel, says “we’ve left [the essay question] very, very, very broad. Why? Because we’re looking at originality of thought …

“So, there’s a lot of topics out there for people, but the importance is to raise awareness of common interest subdivisions, to raise awareness that there is a college out there that specialises in it and also how broad this area is …,” she says.

Benson urges people to take part in their strata scheme. “Have a look at strata schemes and community title schemes, it’s a really interesting area of law and we’d love to see more people entering this field,” she says.

For more information about the essay competition, please visit the website.