Owners seize back control at The Sentinel amid management dispute

Owners at The Sentinel residential tower in Southbank have voted to remove its former owners’ corporation committee, in a decisive move to regain control over building management following months of unrest.

A Special General Meeting (SGM) held on July 17 saw 52 per cent of lot owners represented – surpassing quorum – with all three resolutions passed unanimously and without dissent.

The meeting resulted in the termination of the existing committee, the appointment of a new committee, and the cancellation of a controversial management contract entered into with OC One Pty Ltd.

The previous committee, which did not attend the meeting, had attempted to prevent it from going ahead by seeking an injunction through the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). However, VCAT allowed the meeting to proceed and has set a hearing date in late August to further consider the matter.

In the meantime, the new committee is now officially in place and has already begun work.

Southbank Residents’ Association president Tony Penna, who is also a lot owner at The Sentinel and was elected to the new committee, told Southbank News the result reflected overwhelming support from residents to resolve growing tensions within the building.

“There was no dissent whatsoever. The turnout was strong, and the vote was clear,” Mr Penna said.

“This was about restoring transparency and good governance. The previous committee didn’t even attend the meeting. They’ve argued technicalities, but VCAT clearly wanted to hear from owners first, and now the owners have spoken.”

The vote follows a formal letter sent to the previous committee by a lot owner earlier this month raising serious concerns over the termination of the long-time building manager MICM and the subsequent appointment of OC One Pty Ltd.

That letter alleged a lack of process and transparency, and raised potential conflicts of interest among committee members – concerns that were echoed by other residents in the lead-up to the SGM.

The letter, seen by Southbank News, called for full disclosure of the tender process and legal advice obtained, and raised questions over personal and business connections between committee members and the newly appointed OC firm.

Mr Penna said that while the matter had exposed “deep divisions”, the building’s residents had acted decisively and lawfully.

“They’ve tried arguing that 13 days’ notice for the meeting wasn’t enough instead of 14, but VCAT has previously allowed meetings to proceed despite technicalities, especially when the support of owners is so clear,” he said.

“MICM, who’ve managed the building’s OC to a high standard since The Sentinel first opened and recently won a fair tender process, have been rightly reappointed.”

As per the Owners Corporations Act, if no secretary is appointed by the committee, the OC manager – in this case MICM – assumes the role by default. Mr Penna said the previous committee failed to challenge MICM’s secretarial role at the time, undermining its legal objections.

With the new committee now installed, MICM remains as the owners’ corporation manager. Mr Penna said the committee would now focus on ensuring “good governance, sound management and restoring confidence among residents”.

A spokesperson for OC One Pty Ltd told Southbank News that “it was invited to tender along with other suitably qualified companies for the OC management due to complaints regarding MICM’s management of the building.”

“The tender was awarded to OC One by the OC committee elected at an AGM on February 20, 2025. We understand the validity of a recent SGM is being challenged by the original committee in VCAT,” the spokesperson said, adding that it was “considering is its legal options.”

MICM was contacted for comment.

The Sentinel tower, located at 88 Kavanagh St, is home to hundreds of residents across 32 storeys. •