Future communities – embracing technology
As cranes are no longer limited to the city skyline and they can now be seen filling the horizons in our suburbs, it could be considered timely for us to embrace the future development and growth of community living and review the needs of owners and occupiers and how those needs evolve as technology and innovation does.
It is evident from everyday interactions with owners buying into new schemes that the importance of communication and information will remain at the forefront of community harmony. How information and education is made available to owners and occupiers is forever changing.
With 80 per cent of people now engaged with smart device technology, the majority have well and truly moved from receiving information by snail mail or from the community notice board with faded paper hanging on by one pin in the foyer. We now see them in the mobile world of posting messages, accessing relevant information with immediacy and reporting issues with the click of a smart phone camera and hitting send. Embracing this change is something bodies corporate will have to play catch up on as most industries are already well on this journey.
There also has to be of course some changes to body corporate legislation to remove existing legal barriers that stop the electronic flow of information and this is currently underway with the review of the Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997. Various stakeholders have engaged with the relevant government bodies and QUT to ensure that easier management, technology and electronic communication forms a part of future governance in bodies corporate.
The removal of various legislative restrictions on the free flow of information is key to the future of owner engagement in strata. Before some of these initiatives can be implemented however there are things that can be done now to start the journey of improving owner connectivity. Access to information, forms, fact sheets and newsletters are moving away from the traditional web site based structures and into people’s pockets and bags with the use of APP technologies to bring immediacy to obtaining information and making requests.
Few people in today’s busy world have time to voluntarily run a scheme full time.
Embracing new forms of communication will help alleviate many of the barriers that block effective management. Not only will this improve the speed of communication but it will assist in driving down costs and ensuring comprehensive, clear messaging for users. Balancing new forms of communication with the needs of owners and occupiers will no doubt be a learning curve for all involved however the effort required will be far outweighed by the end result.
Innovation and technology should be embraced for any number of purposes; however we must never forget that face-to-face interaction and activities will always remain a pertinent part of what makes us human and a socially engaged community.
So don’t forget those neighbourly BBQs and get togethers as relationships will always be the key to good communication and harmonious communities.
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