u/thebicepsual

Hi all,

I’m based in Sydney and considering a career pivot into bioinformatics, and wanted to get a realistic sense of what the job market looks like in Australia.

My background is in actuarial science. I’m a qualified actuary currently working in life reinsurance, so I have a strong quantitative/statistical background and some programming experience, but my biology background is still pretty limited at this stage.

I’ve started self-studying and am considering formal study in bioinformatics/genetics, but before committing I’m trying to understand whether it’s actually a viable path here and how difficult it is to break into.

Would be really interested to hear from anyone in Australia working in the field, especially around what opportunities exist and how realistic a transition is from a quantitative background like mine.

Any insights would be appreciated.

I own a unit in a NSW strata scheme and submitted a renovation application about a month ago (kitchen renovation and flooring replacement), including all plans and supporting documents requested.

From what I understand, parts of the works may fall under minor renovations, while other parts may require an ordinary resolution, but the main issue is that I still cannot get a clear answer on the approval pathway or timeline.

I’ve been told the application needs to be considered by the strata committee, but the committee meetings have now been postponed three times and there is currently no new date set.

I’ve followed up multiple times in writing with the strata manager and have also asked whether the kitchen and flooring components can be assessed separately if they fall under different approval pathways, but communication has been limited and I still have no timeframe.

The delay is now affecting contractor scheduling and planning.

A few questions:

1. Can a strata committee effectively delay consideration of a renovation application by repeatedly postponing meetings with no new date set?

2. Is there any obligation under NSW strata law for an owners corporation or committee to deal with renovation requests within a reasonable timeframe?

3. Given the repeated delays and no new meeting date, is it reasonable for me to commence mediation through NSW Fair Trading now?

4. If mediation fails, is an application to NCAT the next step?

5. Has anyone dealt with something similar and managed to obtain a determination?

Not trying to force approval, I just want a lawful decision (yes or no) so I can move forward.

UPDATE: They've scheduled a meeting for next week at the last minute, likely because I sent an email mentioning mediation. There's also a motion to change the renovation approval process to make it easier like a couple of people have mentioned in the comments. Thanks everyone for the insights and advice.