The Queensland Body Corporate AGM: Deadlines, Notices and Required Motions

The timetable, working backwards

Three to six weeks before the end of the financial year, the secretary must write to all owners inviting motions for the AGM and nominations for the committee. (Your body corporate's financial year isn't necessarily 1 July–30 June — and it can only be changed by ordinary resolution once every five years.)

Before the financial year ends, owner motions and nominations must be submitted. This is the deadline that catches people — a motion that misses EOFY generally waits a full year for the next AGM. Anything you want the scheme to decide, get it in writing to the secretary before EOFY.

At least 21 days before the meeting, the secretary must send the meeting papers — notice, agenda, voting papers, committee ballot, and required accompanying documents. If papers go by post, postal time counts toward the 21 days.

Within three months of the end of the financial year, the AGM must be held.

What must be on the agenda

The AGM isn't a free-form discussion — items can't be raised from the floor; only motions submitted in advance get decided. The legislation requires certain statutory motions at every AGM, including adopting the budgets and setting contributions, whether to audit the accounts, and insurance-related motions (the Standard Module requires insurance details to be disclosed at the AGM). Where a spend above the scheme's major spending limit is proposed, the quotes (or summaries and where to inspect them) must accompany the meeting notice — obtained before the vote, not after.

Quorum

The default quorum is 25% of voters. Under the Standard Module Regulation 2020 (in force from 1 March 2021), a body corporate can lower that by special resolution — to no less than 10% — and can also resolve that one voter present in person suffices instead of two. Small schemes struggling to reach quorum should know this lever exists.

Voting and attendance

Meetings can be held and attended electronically only if the body corporate has resolved to allow it — electronic attendance is not the default. Written voting papers let owners vote without attending. Proxy limits and the restrictions on powers of attorney (tightened in 2021 to prevent "proxy farming") mean committees shouldn't assume old habits are still compliant.

After the meeting

Minutes must be produced and circulated, and they become part of the scheme's permanent records — the document a buyer's solicitor, an adjudicator, or next year's committee reads to understand what was decided and why. Minutes recording what was decided but nothing about the basis of the decision are legally minimal and practically useless.