The New South Wales Strata and Community Titles Acts: A Case Study of Legislatively Created High Rise and Master Planned Communities

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to present a case study of the legislative creation of high rise and master planned communities to provide a common basis for future discussions, research and international comparison in the field.Design/methodology/approach – The case study addresses relevant legislation in the Australian state of New South Wales. This has been a model for that in other jurisdictions, including Singapore, the UK and the Dubai International Financial Centre. The legal terms and their significance are discussed in a way that is comprehensible to both lawyers and non‐lawyers.Findings – The legislation is shown to have achieved a range of outcomes that are not possible in ordinary Anglo‐Australian property law. For example, it has created governing “bodies corporate” which regulate communities with private by‐laws and facilitates the continued enforcement of detailed architectural guidelines imposing a master plan.Research limitations/implications – The research describes the legal fram...