Emergencies and after-hours problems

• Life in danger000Police, fire or ambulance, any time.
• Storm or flood damageSES 132 500Queensland State Emergency Service, for help that is not life-threatening.
• After hours: urgent common property0447 440 222Sue Redhead, Estate Plaza after-hours line. During office hours call 07 4837 1788.

What counts as an emergency on common property

Common property is the shared part of your scheme, such as driveways, gardens, the pool, shared pipes and, in most unit blocks, the building’s structure and roof. Treat a problem as an emergency when it puts people at risk, or when damage is getting worse while you wait. For example:

• water flowing from a burst or leaking shared pipe
• storm damage that lets water into the building, such as a damaged roof, window or door
• a fallen tree or debris blocking a driveway, path or exit
• an electrical hazard on common property, such as exposed wiring or a damaged light fitting
• a broken entry door or gate that leaves the building unsecured

For urgent problems like these on common property outside office hours, call our after-hours line: Sue Redhead on 0447 440 222. Call 000 first if anyone is in danger. A blown common-area light, garden upkeep or a slow drip can wait. Report those through report an issue.

First, make the area safe, if you can do it safely

• Keep yourself and others away from the danger. If there is a fallen power line or any electrical hazard, keep well clear and call 000 if anyone is at risk.
• If water is coming from inside your own lot, turn off the water to your lot if you know where the tap is and can reach it safely.
• Move people’s belongings out of harm’s way where that is safe.
• Clean up only where it is safe to do so, to stop the damage getting worse, and only after you have taken photos.

Take photos for insurance

Photographs and video are the best record of damage. Before anything is cleaned up or moved:

• take wide shots that show where the damage is, then close-ups of the damage itself
• photograph the cause if you can see it, such as a fallen branch or a split pipe
• write down when it happened and what you saw
• keep receipts for anything you pay for to protect your own property

Report it to Estate Plaza

Outside office hours, urgent common property problems go to our after-hours line: Sue Redhead on 0447 440 222. Everything else can wait for the office, which is open Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm. Call 07 4837 1788, email [email protected] or use the report an issue form. Tell us the scheme name, your lot number, what happened and where, and send your photos. If the damage may fall under the body corporate’s policy, we lodge the claim with the insurer and keep the committee and the affected owners informed.

Please don’t arrange repairs to common property yourself. The body corporate decides what work is done, and the official guidance does not provide for an owner to arrange common property repairs and then be reimbursed.

For committees: if urgent work costs more than the committee is allowed to spend and there is not time to call a general meeting, the body corporate can apply to the BCCM Office for an emergency adjudication. A committee resolution and, ideally, at least 2 written quotes should go with the application.

Your lot is your responsibility

Owners must keep their own lot in good condition and should fix damage to it as soon as possible, especially if a delay could cause loss to someone else. In a standard format plan (many townhouses and duplexes), that usually includes the roof, walls, doors and windows of the building on your lot. The body corporate’s policy insures the building, not what is inside your lot, so contact your own insurer about your contents. Tenants should contact their property manager or landlord about problems inside their unit.

See who pays for maintenance and body corporate insurance explained.

Cyclone season in Mackay

The official tropical cyclone season in the Australian region runs from 1 November to 30 April. Before it starts, owners and residents can:

• secure or bring inside outdoor furniture, pot plants and loose items on balconies and courtyards so they don’t become dangerous in strong winds
• if you look after the building on your lot, check the roof for damage, clear the gutters, and seal gaps around windows and doors
• have an emergency plan, pack an emergency kit (first aid kit, torch, spare batteries and a battery-powered radio) and know your evacuation routes
• check that your own contents or landlord insurance is current

On the body corporate side, the building insurance needs an independent valuation at least every 5 years, and we inspect the common property before each AGM. Committees with concerns about trees, gutters or loose items on common property can raise them with us before the season.

Download the fact sheet (free PDF)

• Storm Damage and Emergency RepairsWhat to do after a storm, who repairs what, who pays the excess, and how a committee can authorise urgent spending.PDF · 4 pages · 131 KB
• Insurance ObligationsThe main types of insurance a Queensland body corporate must hold, and the cover and value required.PDF · 3 pages · 110 KB

All fact sheets

Frequently asked questions

What should I do if there is an emergency outside office hours?

If anyone’s life or safety is at risk, call 000. For storm or flood damage, call the SES on 132 500. For an urgent problem with common property, such as a burst shared pipe, storm damage letting water in, or a building left unsecured, call Sue Redhead on our after-hours line, 0447 440 222. For anything that can wait, make the area safe if you can do so safely, photograph it, and report it to Estate Plaza on 07 4837 1788 or [email protected]. Our office hours are Monday to Friday, 8:30am to 5pm.

Who pays to repair storm damage in a body corporate?

Where insurance does not cover it, it depends on your survey plan. In a standard format plan, owners are responsible for repairing the parts of the building within their lot boundaries. In a building format plan, the body corporate is likely responsible for the building’s exterior, including doors and windows in a boundary wall between a lot and the common property. The body corporate looks after common property.

When is cyclone season?

The official tropical cyclone season in the Australian region runs from 1 November to 30 April.

Sources

1. SES assistance (Queensland State Emergency Service)
2. Storm damage (Queensland Government)
3. Body corporate maintenance (Queensland Government)
4. Standard format plan maintenance (Queensland Government)
5. Building insurance and valuation (Queensland Government)
6. Australian tropical cyclone season (Bureau of Meteorology)
7. Cyclone frequently asked questions (Get Ready Queensland)

Checked 26 October 2026. The law and official guidance change, so check the current source before relying on it. This page is general information about Queensland body corporate law, not legal advice. For advice about your situation, speak with a lawyer.