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Mini Blog | Dated 28 November 2025
Remedial Project Delivery: Essential knowledge for Strata Managers and Owners Corporations
Strata remedial building projects are facing greater scrutiny than ever before. With the 2025 NSW strata law reforms now in effect, owners’ corporations are under stricter obligations to maintain and repair common property or risk enforcement action from NSW Fair Trading.
For buildings that are ageing or with unresolved defects, this translates to increased pressure, tighter timelines, and higher stakes.
In this environment, understanding the fundamentals of remedial project delivery is essential for both Strata Managers and Owners Corporations.
At Diagnostech, we’ve seen firsthand how the absence of a comprehensive project delivery strategy can expose owners’ corporations to unnecessary risks, unexpected costs, and avoidable disputes.
Unique Challenges in Strata Projects
Remedial Building Strata projects come with multiple layers of complexity that make them very different from standard construction projects. Unlike single dwelling buildings, where there may be a single owner and clear lines of authority, strata projects involve many stakeholders, owners, committees, strata managers, building managers, residents, tenants consultants, and contractors, all of whom must be kept aligned. This can create significant communication challenges, with decisions often requiring collective agreement and clear documentation to avoid misunderstandings.
Another major challenge is budget and levy pressures. Strata projects are funded through levies, which means any cost increases or variations can create tension and conflict among owners. Financial transparency and proactive cost control are essential to maintaining trust and ensuring projects remain viable.
Strata remedial works are also heavily influenced by regulatory and compliance requirements. From defect rectification to building code compliance, Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (DBPA) requirements, planning considerations, safety obligations, and insurance obligations, strata committees face greater scrutiny and potential liability if these responsibilities are not met.
These complexities mean that without a comprehensive project delivery strategy that encompasses project management, superintendence and technical oversight services, small problems can quickly spiral into disputes, delays, and unexpected financial stress for owners’ corporations.
Without project management, superintendence and technical oversight, strata remedial projects are vulnerable to costly mistakes, inflated variations, and compliance failures.
For example, without technical oversight, Contractors may push through unnecessary changes or substitute materials without proper verification, leading to budget blowouts and long-term defects. Latent issues such as concealed structural problems often go unchecked, resulting in expensive rework after the fact. In the absence of superintendent services, committees are forced to rely solely on contractor advice and have no oversight of progress claims or extension of time claims.
What is the best practice for Remedial Project Delivery?
A comprehensive delivery service goes beyond basic coordination and budgeting. It integrates strategic oversight with technical assurance, ensuring every aspect of the project, from planning to delivery is aligned, compliant, and quality-controlled.
Here’s what it includes:
Strategic Planning and Coordination
- Development of detailed project plans, budgets, schedules, and milestones.
- Coordination of consultants, suppliers, and contractors.
- Management of meetings, minutes, and stakeholder communications.
- Risk identification and mitigation strategies.
- Administration of contracts, including variations and Extensions of Time (EoTs).
- Certification of progress claims under the Security of Payment Act.
- Cashflow forecasting and monthly reporting.
- Acting as the central point of contact for committees and stakeholders.
- Certifying Practical Completion and managing project close-out.
Technical Oversight and Compliance
- Preparation and review of Quality Assurance schedules.
- Regular site inspections to monitor workmanship and resolve technical issues.
- Review of prototypes, samples, workshop drawings, and material specifications.
- Evaluation of products for compliance with engineering and design standards.
- Certification of façade, structural, and weatherproofing designs for DBPA compliance.
- Management of latent defects or concealed conditions during work.
- Finalisation of as-built documentation and issuance of Design Compliance Declarations.
- Lodgement of product certifications and performance statements.
Our experience has shown that a fully integrated service ensures that strata managers and owners are fully informed and have accounted for all costs associated with managing remedial building works.
Every Building Deserves the Same Standard of Care
Whether your building is a boutique block of six or a multi-tower complex, the principles of comprehensive remedial project delivery remain the same. Smaller projects are not immune to risk, and larger ones are not guaranteed to be more complex. What matters most is the quality of technical oversight, superintendence, and compliance.
It is critical to apply the same rigorous standards to every project, regardless of size. It is important to tailor an approach without compromising quality and integrity. This ensures that every owner’s corporation receives the same level of diligence, transparency, and protection.
Duty of Care and DBPA Compliance
Since the introduction of the Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (DBPA) in NSW, all professionals carrying out construction work owe a statutory duty of care to both current and future owners. This duty is wide-reaching—it applies not just to builders, but also to designers, engineers, and professionals who influence how building work is planned, coordinated, or delivered.
For strata remedial building projects, the DBPA has two critical implications:
- Heightened accountability – Owners corporations can pursue claims if work is defective or non-compliant, even 10 years after completion.
- Increased governance responsibility – Committees and strata managers must demonstrate that qualified, competent professionals were engaged, and oversight was properly exercised.
At Diagnostech, we take this responsibility further. As registered Design Practitioners, we issue Design Compliance Declarations, certifying that designs comply with the Building Code of Australia (BCA) and are fully integrated across building elements. Our engineers also conduct site inspections throughout construction to ensure work is delivered according to design and DBPA requirements. Together, our project management/superintendence, and technical oversight integrated service provides 2-tier safeguard compliance is embedded in planning and enforced during delivery.
Conclusion
Remedial Projects require a comprehensive project delivery strategy that combines project management, project superintendence and technical oversight.
With DBPA obligations and new strata law reforms raising the bar, strata managers and committees cannot afford to overlook these responsibilities. Diagnostech’s integrated Project Management/Superintendence service and technical oversight ensures remedial building projects are delivered efficiently, transparently, and with confidence.
With over 23 years of experience, Diagnostech stands committed to leading with integrity, sharing knowledge generously, taking a solutions-focused approach, and remaining accessible from start to finish.
When you choose Diagnostech, you choose expert guidance, accountability, and peace of mind for every stage of your strata remedial project.
Diagnostech’s DBPA Capability
At Diagnostech, every one of our Diagnostech design practitioners is qualified and registered through the DBPA. Likewise, we only ever work with construction companies and contractors that are properly qualified and DBPA registered as well.
We are committed to keeping our clients up to date on the DBPA requirements and supporting owners in understanding the implications for their buildings.
While this article has been designed to provide you with all the information you might need to remain well-informed about the DBPA and how it will impact you, keep in mind that our team at Diagnostech are also available to provide guidance and help understand the implications for your clients or your building.
Glossary of Terms
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Remedial Building Work | Remedial building work refers to repair, maintenance, upgrades, or defect rectification on existing buildings. It’s a broad term used to restore a building’s performance or compliance. |
| Design and Building Practitioners Act 2020 (NSW) – DBPA | The DBPA is legislation introduced in NSW to enhance accountability in construction by mandating practitioner registration, compliance declarations, and duty of care obligations. It ensures that both design and building work meet minimum standards. |
| Class 2 Building | A Class 2 building refers to residential apartments or townhouses with shared spaces like lobbies or basements. |
| Class 3 Building | Class 3 buildings are intended for long-term or transient accommodation for unrelated people, such as boarding houses or hostels. |
| Class 9C Building | A Class 9C building is a residential care facility that provides varying levels of physical assistance to residents, such as aged care homes. |
| Design Practitioner | Refers to a person who prepares regulated designs |
| Regulated Design | A Regulated Design is any design prepared for remedial work involving critical building elements like waterproofing or cladding. It must be developed by a registered practitioner and comply with legislation. |
| Exempt Works from Regulated Design | Works such as concrete repair or repainting are generally exempt from Regulated Design obligations. However, work on structural elements still requires proper supervision and may need approval. |
| Duty of Care (under DBPA) | The DBPA introduced a statutory duty of care requiring builders, designers, developers, and supervisors to avoid economic loss caused by defects. It applies broadly—even to building types outside DBPA. |
| Pafburn Case | In Pafburn Pty Ltd v The Owners – Strata Plan No. 84674 [2024] HCA 49, the High Court confirmed that head contractors and developers are responsible for defects caused by subcontractors, significantly extending liability. |
| Section 106 – Strata Schemes Management Act 2015 (NSW) | This section imposes a strict legal duty on owners corporations to repair and maintain common property in strata schemes. |
| Construction Issued Regulated Design | This is a final certified design prepared by a registered practitioner to ensure remedial work complies with DBPA and building codes. Required for Class 2 works and from July 2026 for Class 3 and 9C. |
