Aurora Melbourne Central residents push to overthrow body corporate chair

Residents of one of Melbourne’s biggest CBD apartment towers have pushed to install new building management at a marathon meeting.

Residents at one of the city’s most iconic apartment towers have held what is believed to be the largest owners corporation meeting in Melbourne’s history in a bid to oust chairman Hun-Jing Tiong from power.

Aurora Melbourne Central residents held a special general meeting on Monday night to remove the current committee, of which “Jing” is the head, install a new committee and overturn the ripping up of service contracts early.

Some residents fear the contract terminations could cost them millions of dollars in legal costs and compensation.

Around 200 owners attended the online meeting which lasted almost four hours.

Aurora Melbourne Central on La Trobe St.

Hung-Jing Tiong has upset residents after taking control of the body corporate.

As the Aurora building has a lot of foreign owners — believed to be up to 75 per cent — interpreters were required to ensure all could follow the meeting, were fully briefed and all questions could be answered.

The Herald Sun understands the vast majority of those who attended voted to dump Jing and her committee.

Only one voted for the current committee and two abstained.

However, different weight is given to each vote depending on the size and type of ownership.

A one-bedroom flat might have 40 votes, a three-bedroom home 120 votes, while some who enjoy two combined apartments might have 200 votes.

Proxy votes are also being counted and it is expected the result of Monday night’s meeting might not be known for 14 days.

“We know Jing uses WeChat to assert her influence on the largely foreign owners so we made sure we had translators to explain what was happening, why it was happening and to answer their questions because we are dealing with serious issues and matters,” one resident, who attended the meeting, said.

“The previous annual general meeting had about 40 owners turn up, so to have 200 shows there is an enormous amount of concern.”

The Herald Sun has been told Jing, who is an apartment owner and holds several proxy votes, did not attend the meeting.

Hung-Jing Tiong allegedly proxy farmed overseas owners votes.

It is alleged Hung-Jing Tiong has for the past two years “proxy-farmed” enough votes to take over the building committee allegedly using Chinese instant messaging app WeChat to pressure foreign residents who spoke little or no English.

Since coming to power in January 2021, Jing has terminated two building management contracts worth millions of dollars. Each company has begun Supreme Court proceedings.

There are also three VCAT hearings underway started by residents concerned by her behaviour and questioning her authority.

Several unfair dismissal cases are pending with the Fair Work Commission after she sacked building staff and replaced them with her own supporters.

This includes installing former Australian Olympic cyclist Jeff Leslie, 70, as the building manager.

He is paid more than $10,000 a month.

Jing has also put up signs imposing unlawful fines, including a $50 fee for residents picking up their UberEats delivery from reception.

Several residents also had their key fob disabled in the wrongly held belief they were renting out their homes on Airbnb.

Desperate residents have made complaints to Victoria Police, City of Melbourne, Consumer Affairs and state politicians but all say it is a civil matter.

The Aurora building, at 228 La Trobe Street, is Melbourne’s third tallest skyscraper and is 88 storeys tall, standing at 270.5 metres.

It cost $800m to build and there are 1002 residential apartments comprising about 3500 residents.

The building, which opened in 2019, has an annual turnover of more than $6m.