Power outage announcements ignite a period of intensive planning and preparation for our Building Managers, to reduce the impact on residents’ safety, security and lifestyle. And while all our Building Managers are all highly experienced in managing power outages, every building is different and every outage brings a different set of challenges.
Power outages in multi-level buildings are more than a temporary inconvenience; they can compromise safety and security and can be costly, as an alternate source of power is sometimes required and sudden shutdowns can damage the building’s systems and machinery, such as the HVAC, water pumps, and lifts.
So it’s not surprising that notifications of power outages of any duration from Ausgrid spark a military-style operation by our Building Managers, who with the backing of our General Manager and Operations Manager, immediately start to plan strategies to reduce the impact on everyone living, visiting and working in their buildings.
One of the first steps our building managers take is to notify the building’s Strata Committee of the proposed power outage and meet with them to discuss considerations and how they will manage the outage. “Our Building Managers understand the importance of collaboration in these situations and liaise closely with strata management and owners committees, which gives everyone peace of mind,” says Building Management Australia Director, Andrew Veron.
Collaboration vital
In multi-level buildings, power outages, even those that take place during the ‘quiet’ hours of midnight to 5am, require considerable planning and management by the Building Manager. This can include checking or providing emergency lighting, hiring an electrician for the shutdown and restart of the HVAC, water pumps and lifts, hiring security guards to keep the building secure, and arranging for service support from the lift and fire protection system providers.
For diverse mixed-use buildings like the Building Management Australia-managed World Tower low-rise, which extends from level 11 (street level) to level 37, even a short power outage requires collaboration with many stakeholders, extensive planning in the lead up, and hands-on management during the outage to ensure the many systems and machinery shutdown and start-up without issue, and adequate access and security is maintained.
“The World Tower can have thousands of people ‘in house’ at any one time, and there’s multiple access points and elevators to consider. Good planning and preparation are crucial to ensure a smooth outcome. On the evenings of the power outages at the World Tower, we had a team of specialists at the ready, as well as the Building Management team,” explains Andrew Veron.
Power outages that last longer than a few hours can be costly events for owners as an alternative power supply is required. An example was when Ausgrid notified the Aston Apartments Strata management in late 2020 of a seven-day power outage, which meant the Sydney CBD building’s owners were facing a cost of around $20,000 for a diesel generator to provide power – plus the constant noise and fumes for an entire week.
“Faced with such a disruptive, long and costly outage, we decided to secure a change in the duration of the proposed outage. Negotiating with Ausgrid is time-consuming – and challenging – but our team is experienced with dealing with external providers and were successful in reducing the outage from a full week of no power – a total of 168 hours – to just three hours of no power and 15 hours of low power, enabling the building’s essential facilities and services to operate, such as lights, doors, fire and security systems and lifts,” says Andrew. “This reduction in outage duration also meant a costly noisy generator would no longer be required.”
For more information on how Building Management Australia handled the power outage at The Aston Apartments, click here. And for more information about the World Tower outage and the solutions Bmaus put in place, click here.
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Building Managers provide a variety of services that help create a more convenient, efficient and cost-effective building. Strata buildings that have numerous lots – residential, commercial, retail – have an increased amount of traffic and activities which require a professional building manager to oversee and mitigate.
Building Managers organise, control and delegate the strategic and operational management of a building. They are based on-site with a dedicated office from where they manage contractors and suppliers carrying out maintenance and upgrades and provide services such as security, cleaning, and property maintenance. Building Managers can issue keys, accept parcels and manage the adherence of the occupants to the registered by-laws.
Bmaus can assist the owners’ corporation with:
– The management of common property
– Controlling the use of common property by tradespersons and other non-residents
– The maintenance and repair of common property
– Duties such as concierge, security and cleaning
Building Managers usually manage strata buildings greater than 70 lots, however, they can manage smaller strata on a part-time basis at the Strata Committee’s discretion.
Building Managers are appointed by members of a Strata Committee. They are appointed at an AGM or EGM and are administered by the Strata Committee via a Strata Agent.
The Strata Committee of the owners corporation represents owners or owners’ nominees. It is responsible for the day-to-day running of the strata scheme and is elected at each annual general meeting (AGM). The owners corporation decides the number of strata committee members for the coming year at each AGM. An owners corporation may also employ a Strata Managing Agent and/or Building Manager to carry out some, or all, of the responsibilities of the strata committee.
We create a tailored quote by discussing your tenant’s requirements and by conducting an on-site scope of work to assess your building’s maintenance and management requirements such as security, cleaning, coordinating/overseeing repairs and renovations, provision of valet parking, concierge, and/or mail/parcel management, and facilities maintenance such as gardening and maintenance of amenities such as gyms and/or swimming pools.
Bmaus has managers who operate as full-time managers, part-time managers and, in some instances, a combination of remote and onsite managers. As with all our services, we tailor the manager’s hours to meet the needs of your building.
Bmaus employs several ‘floating’ / ‘relief’ Building Managers who are acquainted with your building and its operation and maintenance requirements. This ensures a continuity of quality service during times of leave.
Taking Building Management to a new level
Professionalism is key
Bmaus is an integrated building and facilities management company that has evolved to meet the needs of today’s strata buildings.
Most importantly, we understand we are a services company entrusted with the care and comfort of your homes.
With this in mind, we offer highly professional Building Managers with the necessary skills and aptitudes to meet the needs of your strata, from the simplest to the most complex.
Bmaus is the solution you’ve been looking for.
Our team members have strong expertise and experience in the following:
• Compilation of building defects
• Control of key and access systems
• Management and audit of security operations
• Supervision of communications systems
• Operation of concierge and reception service
• Reporting and advising the owners corporation of all building issues
• Supervision of contractors
• Control of furniture and goods entry and exit
• Enforcement of by-laws and rules relating to the property
• Attending owners corporation and other relevant meetings
To find out more about our services and how we can improve your building’s management, please contact us on 02 8356 7127 or email info@Bmaus.com.au
We look forward to being an integral part of your building’s success!