Body Corporate Insurance in Queensland: What Committees Must Disclose, and What Onsite Managers Get Asked

Ask any onsite manager what owners raise most at the front desk and insurance is near the top: "Are we covered for flood?", "Why did the premium jump?", "Who gets the commission?" Queensland's body corporate regulation modules set out what a scheme must insure and what it must tell owners. Knowing the rules lets you answer sensibly and, just as importantly, know when to refer the question on.

What a body corporate must hold

The Queensland Government's guidance says a body corporate must have insurance for common property, body corporate assets, public risk and, in most cases, every building that contains a lot. Public risk cover must respond to death, illness, injury and property damage, with at least $10 million for a single event and at least $10 million for the policy period. Common property, assets and required buildings must be insured for full replacement value, which means returning the property to new condition, including costs such as professional fees and debris removal. Extra cover, for example flood, can be added if an ordinary resolution is passed at a general meeting.

Valuations at least every five years

Where a body corporate must insure buildings for full replacement value, it must obtain an independent valuation at least every 5 years (Accommodation Module s 190; Standard Module s 200). Owners pay a share of the cost in proportion to their share of the building insurance premium, collected through the administrative fund contribution.

What owners must be told at the AGM

Under section 186 of the Accommodation Module (section 196 of the Standard Module), the AGM notice, or a note attached to the proposed administrative fund budget, must give details of each policy in force:

• the insurer, and any broker or intermediary involved;
• the amount and type of cover;
• the premium and any excess;
• the expiry date;
• the amount, type and provider of any financial or other benefit (such as commission or discounts) given by the insurer or broker to the body corporate, a member, a committee member, a body corporate manager or service contractor, or an associate of that person.

For insured buildings it must also state the full replacement value from the latest valuation and the valuation date.

Why that matters to caretakers

The benefit disclosure expressly reaches service contractors and their associates. If your business, or someone connected to it, receives any benefit linked to the scheme's insurance, it has to be disclosed to owners in the notice. Insurance details also feed into the body corporate certificate that buyers obtain under section 205 of the BCCM Act, so accurate records are in everyone's interest.

Practical takeaways for onsite managers

1) Keep current certificates of currency on file and know the expiry date.

2) Report damage and incidents to the committee or body corporate manager promptly, in writing, with photos.

3) Don't advise on cover or sums insured. Refer owners to the committee, body corporate manager or a broker.

4) Disclose any benefit connected to the scheme's insurance, and keep it in writing.

5) Put contractors' insurance details in your records before works start.

Clear records and early referrals protect the scheme and the management rights business.

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Sources: Body Corporate and Community Management (Accommodation Module) Regulation 2020, ss 186 and 190 (Standard Module equivalents ss 196 and 200), consolidated text on AustLII; Body Corporate and Community Management Act 1997 (Qld), s 205; Queensland Government, "Compulsory insurance" (qld.gov.au, updated 9 July 2025); BCCM Office fact sheet "Insurance obligations" (March 2025). Accessed 3 November 2026.

General information only, not legal advice. Your scheme's regulation module, plan type and facts will affect the outcome. Seek advice from a strata solicitor, your body corporate manager or the BCCM Office.