NSW Strata Law Changes 2025: Sustainability and EV Charging in Shared Parking

From 1 July 2025, major reforms to NSW strata law took effect, embedding sustainability into the governance of every strata scheme. Under the Strata Schemes Legislation Amendment Act 2025 (NSW Government – Key Changes), strata committees must now include sustainability as a standing item on every Annual General Meeting (AGM) agenda. This means energy efficiency, water conservation, waste reduction, and EV charging in strata buildings are now required as part of the conversation every single year.

This legislative reform strengthens earlier changes under the Strata Schemes Management Amendment (Sustainability Infrastructure) Act 2021 (NSW Legislation), which first made it easier for owners to install sustainability infrastructure such as solar panels, battery storage, and EV chargers. From July 2025 onwards, by‑laws that ban sustainability infrastructure purely on aesthetic grounds are no longer enforceable unless the building is heritage‑listed or in a conservation area.

For residents, this change is transformative. It removes one of the most common roadblocks to installing chargers in car spaces or on common property: appearance objections. If your request was previously rejected because it “didn’t look nice,” you now have the legislative backing to re‑submit.

Why Sustainability is Front and Centre in Strata

The NSW Government’s reforms recognise that strata schemes are home to millions of people and a significant source of emissions. Apartment buildings consume vast amounts of electricity for lighting, lifts, ventilation, and car parks. Making sustainability a standing AGM agenda item means:

• Strata committees must report on energy and water use for common property.
• Owners can propose projects like LED lighting upgrades, solar PV, or EV charging networks.
• Budgets must consider future sustainability costs, not just maintenance.
• Committees must plan for upgrades that future‑proof buildings and reduce carbon impact.

This is not just a compliance exercise. It is a roadmap for cleaner, smarter, more efficient strata apartment living.

Why This Matters for EV Drivers

EV adoption in Australia is rising fast. Q2 2025 just hit a record high for EV sales — and the numbers are worth talking about. 

• 41,146 new EVs sold across the country:
• 29,244 Battery EVs (BEVs)
• 11,902 Plug-in Hybrid EVs (PHEVs)

That’s a 37% year-on-year jump, making up 13.1% of all new car sales. [SOURCE ]

Forecasts [SOURCE] suggest that one in four cars will be EVs by 2026. For apartment dwellers, access to convenient EV charging at home is often the difference between switching to electric or sticking with petrol. Especially because on-street EV charging may not be available in the area they need it or when they need it.

These reforms turn parking areas into opportunities for decarbonisation. Committees must actively consider EV charging rollout, load management, and fair cost allocation. Owners corporations can no longer refuse your charger installation request on aesthetic grounds alone. This unlocks the door to widespread EV readiness in strata communities.

Practical Steps for Strata Committees

To comply with the new requirements, committees should:

1. Audit existing by‑laws: Remove or amend any by‑laws that restrict solar panels, battery storage, or EV chargers based on appearance.
2. Add sustainability as a standing AGM item: Ensure energy and water usage data for common property is tabled at every AGM. (NSW Government – Key Changes)
3. Budget for upgrades: Include capital works funding for wiring, switchboard capacity, load management systems, and access control.
4. Engage owners early: Communicate benefits, funding models, and proposed timeframes to build support.
5. Review embedded network contracts: Ensure any agreements for electricity supply or EV charging comply with new disclosure requirements.

Making Shared Parking Work for Everyone

Installing chargers is only half the solution. In buildings where parking is shared or on common property, strata must plan for fair access to EV charging. Especially if it is not feasible to retrofit and provide EV charging for each and every parking space. Consider:

• Allocating shared EV bays: Create communal charging spots with equitable booking systems, like those offered by thatsmyspot and Parking Spotz.
• Implementing user‑pays billing: Use networked chargers to ensure electricity costs are fairly distributed.
• Protecting bays with smart parking bollards: Prevent ICEing and guarantee that EV bays are available for authorised users.

For inspiration, see our EV charging parking solutions use case, where strata schemes successfully combined bollards, booking systems, and charger installations to create a seamless solution.

Real‑World Example: Sydney Apartment Block

A Sydney apartment complex recently embraced these principles ahead of the 2025 reforms. They:

• Upgraded their main switchboard and installed load management software.
• Passed an enabling by‑law allowing owners to install private chargers.
• Installed three shared chargers on common property with user‑pays billing.
• Added smart parking bollards to prevent misuse.
• Created a digital booking system for equitable access.

Our early customer interviews indicate that with this certainty of EV charging, more than 20% of residents will switch to EVs, with EV charging utilisation scheduled to be smooth and conflict‑free.

Budgeting and Staging Projects

Capital works planning should now include sustainability infrastructure alongside traditional maintenance. Staged planning might look like:

• Stage 1: Conduct energy audit, prepare EV readiness assessment.
• Stage 2: Upgrade switchboard, add capacity for multiple chargers.
• Stage 3: Install first phase of shared chargers and bollards.
• Stage 4: Expand network based on demand, add solar or battery storage.

Budgeting ahead spreads costs over several years, avoids levy shocks, and ensures compliance with the 2025 strata law reforms.

Why This Adds Value

Sustainability upgrades are no longer “nice to have” – they are central to maintaining property value. Buyers and renters increasingly expect EV charging, energy‑efficient lighting, and greener common property. Buildings that fail to plan risk falling behind and becoming less desirable.

Next Steps for Your Committee

1. Table sustainability at your next AGM with real data on energy use.
2. Commission a feasibility study for EV charging and parking upgrades.
3. Update by‑laws to allow sustainability infrastructure including EV charging, and how you will allocate this fairly, for example with a reservation system with embedded parking bollards such as that offered by Parking Spotz.
4. Develop a staged funding plan.
5. Communicate clearly with owners to secure buy‑in.

How That’s My Spot Can Help

At That’s My Spot, we make sustainable parking a reality. We supply remote control parking bollards and Parking Spotz parking bollard solutions that integrate with EV chargers to keep bays free and ensure fair access. We partner with strata managers and committees across NSW to design and implement solutions that meet the new sustainability obligations while future‑proofing your building.

Want to make your building EV‑ready and compliant? Learn more from our EV charging parking bollard solutions use case or contact us today for a free consultation.